Kagome's Trial
by firevixen73
Summary: Kagome has a problem, a very big problem. Inuyasha would kill her if he knew, hell, Sesshomaru would help. Really what could she say to them? 'Your fathers ghost is stalking me, trying to make me save Sesshomaru's life'...that's not going to go over well
1. Enter the Bane of Her Existence

"Why are we moving so slow!" yelled an irate half demon as he made the small band of humans continue to trudge across the forest.

Why in the world he was being this ridiculous about covering ground was beyond her comprehension. What were they, in the military? Kagome grumbled as she watched her best friend turn into a drill sergeant. She could see it now, him in one of those commanding officer outfits while he yelled at his subordinates to pick up the pace or face his wrath. Then finally, as the last test of their abilities, he would assess their self control by allowing one tweaking of his adorable little ears. It would of course be a trap and those that would fall for it would be forced to continue on in his training for yet another grueling year.

She would _so_ fail.

Kagome silently fell in step next to Miroku as Inuyasha continued to yell at them. He continued doing all of this while walking backwards in order to yell at them properly by facing them. I mean, of course he couldn't slow down the group himself but he wasn't about to let the opportunity of yelling at them pass without being acted upon. How wasteful would that be?

"Is it just me, or is he worse than normal as of late?" whispered Kagome.

Miroku huffed as they were forced to jump over a particularly large boulder, "Inuyasha certainly has been…demanding in the past few days."

"Demanding my ass, he's been a total control freak. Honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd say he was trying to kill us. Even Kilala had to transform into her larger state to keep up with him," argued Kagome.

"Perhaps he is just anxious about Naraku," tried to defend Miroku on his friend's behalf, but with a quick glare towards said monk from Kagome, Miroku immediately found his attempts stalled. She did have a point after all; Inuyasha had been rather dreadful lately.

"I don't hear you! You should be right behind me!" yelled Inuyasha one again.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she picked up her pace. When this was all over and she wasn't so completely exhausted, she was sitting his stupid self all the way to the afterlife. Hold on Kikyo because here he comes.

She could not wait until nightfall came and she could finally get some sleep. She just hoped, beyond all hope, that those stupid dreams of hers didn't come back.

* * *

_The woman with black, almost midnight looking hair, silently took in the sight before her. She wasn't sure whether to be shocked or physically sickened by what she was seeing. Before her was a field of massacred soldiers strewn about randomly, chaotically. Bodies lay only inches from her own frame, many being torn apart, limb from limb. Blood coated the field in thick pools, the smell of recent deaths lay heavily in the air. _

_It took all her self control not to gag._

_She looked further up the scene, silently holding in her scream, only to see a majestic looking beast staring straight at her. He was in the very middle of the dead body laced field and from the looks of it, he was the cause of the masses surrounding her. _

_Where various patches of blood didn't cover his fur she could see the beautiful white undertone covering his body. To say the least he was beautiful, no, he was more than beautiful, he was perfect. He had to be at least six or seven stories tall, his four legs alone would match the size of her house in the present era. His long tail gently swung back and forth as their gazes locked. The beast's long yet graceful snout turned towards her, but that wasn't what had caught her attention. The beasts eye's, they were gold. A golden pigment similar to the rising sun's rays, a gold she knew she had seen before._

"_Sesshomaru?" she asked quietly to herself. No, she had seen Sesshomaru before while in his true form, heck, she had been attacked by Sesshomaru in his true form before. He was large, but not that big. Furthermore, the marking on the beast's forehead were different from what she knew to be Sesshomaru's trademark markings. No, this wasn't Sesshomaru, but then, who was it?_

_Without notice, the giant beast took a step towards her, in turn crushing various bodies with its naturally destructive paw. Kagome's terror suddenly came back full force. She could feel her own energy spike with fear. Another step was made in her direction as she took a quick but noticeable stride backwards. _

_The beasts stiffened as it felt her fear. She watched as the creature deliberated taking another step towards her and eventually made its final decision after watching her for a good minute or two. Without hesitation the beast crouched down and charged towards her full speed. Kagome immediately let loose a scream and turned in a different direction, bent on getting away from the demon currently hunting her down. She didn't know what direction she was heading, she didn't pay attention to the pools of blood splashing across her lower and upper thighs, and she purposefully ignored the dead bodies she was forced to step through in order to get away. _

_She knew she was human, and she knew the creature was a demon, but damit, even if she didn't have a snowball's chance in hell, she was going to try._

_Within an instant she was caught and thrown viciously onto her stomach. As soon as she gained her bearings she reached out and tried her hardest to pull away from the large claw pinning her to the ground. The harder she tried the more pressure she found being pressed but she didn't care. She needed to get away, so she feverishly pulled at the drenched grass before her as the roots for the small green plants became uprooted with each attempt she made._

_A loud howl was heard right before she was flipped over on her back, but she didn't care. All she cared about was escape, all she cared about was warning Inuyasha. She needed to tell him to stay away, to get him and her friends out of the area; she needed to make sure this beast did not kill him like it would surely her. It was only after a few grueling seconds of realizing she was still alive that Kagome peered through her closed eye lids._

_She had faced enough demons to know that 'any last words' was not an option they gave. When Kagome finally found the courage to look at her killer she was greeted with a very unusual sight. _

_Instead of the bloody battle field that the two beings had last resided in she was now in a lusciously green meadow and was surrounded by blue skies as a substitute for the dark reddish hue that had previously been staining the sky. The stench of death was no longer in the air, surrounding her, suffocating her, consuming her. The wetness that Kagome felt from before was no longer blood, but fresh morning dew. She cautiously looked at the beast pinning her with one paw only to be shocked speechless. _

_It was no beast before her, but a man. No, not just a man, it was a demon. He was tall with long silver hair that reached his calves, even while in the man's high pony tail. Markings adorned his face and claws graced his fingers. His armor was similar to Sesshomaru's, only more extravagant, as were his clothes. _

_But his eyes, his eyes were the same. They were gold, gold like Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's. Suddenly she realized why this man looked so familiar. She had seen him before. He was there when the gates to hell had opened when that blasted sword took over Inuyasha. _

_This was Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father._

_The man leaned down slightly as he continued to survey her. With a final nod of approval he spoke, "You are going to help me."_

"_W-what?" needless to say Kagome was rather confused, and scared, and shocked, and apparently incapable of speech._

"_You are going to help me little one," he stated once again in a nonchalant manner as if he was talking about the weather._

_She wanted to say something along the lines of 'you're dead', she wanted to ask 'how?', she wanted to wake up from whatever dream she was in but before she could ask what the hell was going on the demon closed his eyes in concentration, effectively blocking out anything she had to say. Within a few seconds his golden orbs were once again fixed on her, "It seems my son is more impatient than normal. Do not worry, I will contact you. Your lack of knowledge of your heritage is surprisingly…beneficial."_

_He said the last part while smiling, which scared Kagome more than the deadly seven story dog demon that had charged her moments ago._

* * *

"Wake up wench, we have ground to cover," spoke an incredibly annoying voice.

Within moments Kagome was awake and on high alert. She immediately looked around for the giant dog that seemed to plague her and only after a few seconds of reassuring breaths did she calm down. He wasn't there. Kagome, now determined to find out where exactly she was, looked down to see herself once again in her sleeping bag. From what she could tell the sun had been up for about an hour, maybe two at most.

She took in a deep breath.

It was just a dream, a horrible, horrible dream that she had been having every night for the past two weeks. It didn't matter how many times she experienced the nightmare, it always scared her, it always left her terrified. Though, it had never ended quite like that before. Inuyasha's father had never been in her dreams.

"Wench, you going crazy on me now?" came the familiar voice.

Kagome looked up towards her best friend. His right eyebrow was raised in question as he stared at her. Apparently she had been sitting there staring out into space for quite some time. She shook her head, determined to get whatever repeating thoughts she had out of her consciousness. "No Inuyasha, I'm fine. I'm getting up now."

He huffed and then she heard a silent 'good' come from his direction. As she finished scanning the field, quite similar to what she had been doing every morning for the last couple of weeks, her gaze rested on Inuyasha or more specifically, his claws. To be even more specific, the small object tightly being gripped in said claws.

Her eye's went wide, "Oh no Inuyasha. There is no way."

She pushed her sleeping bag down to her knees as she attempted to stand up. She was not going to let this happen. Not today. Inuyasha had been pushing the others like crazy _and_ she was already tired because of her dreams _and_ there was _no_ way he was getting what he wanted out of the deal while he was working them this hard.

Kagome was determined not to look at the lovable half demon as she tried to get ready for the day. Unfortunately the boy knew how to work her…to a degree, and this was a degree he had mastered. Two years will do that to a pair of friends.

Kagome grabbed her brush in an attempt to comb out her hair all the while picturing in her head everything she was currently trying to avoid.

She could see it now, his eyes would widen slightly, and then when he felt it appropriate his adorable little ears would flatten themselves against his head. Then finally he would get this dejected look on his face and mumble something about his childhood. It didn't matter how many times she had seen it, it always worked, and Inuyasha knew it.

All she had to do was let a good five minutes pass before she looked at him again. By then he would have given up and deemed it not worthy to try any harder. That was all she needed, but damn, Kagome for the life of her, couldn't figure out what to do to keep herself busy.

After living in the feudal era for so long one learned that unless in a hut, it is best to sleep in ones clothes. One too many demons had come upon her while changing and it was too embarrassing to live through yet again. So, she didn't have to change her clothes, which at this point and time would have been a nice distraction because she could have dilly dallied to her heart's content while waiting for him to give up.

Wait! She still had to brush her teeth!

While quickly gliding past the part dog demon who was still waiting for her to relent, she reached into her bag and pulled out her toothpaste and toothbrush. After poring some of the water from her canteen onto her tooth brush she began her daily ritual.

She brushed, and brushed and brushed. By the end of it she felt like her gums were going to fall off. Honestly, it had to of been four minutes by now and he was still standing there. Damn, she needed a new plan. Quickly spitting into the fire pit they had made last night she turned around to reach for her bag. Unfortunately it wasn't where she had left it.

She was positive it had been at the end of her sleeping bag though. So where was it? Rather feverously, and quite thankful she had something other than Inuyasha to focus her attention on, she looked around the camp site, all the while avoiding her friends gaze. She quickly discovered it was nowhere to be found.

"Damn, where is it," she whispered to herself.

Before she knew it the bright yellow bag was thrusted in front of her face. In a moment of what she could only describe later as insanity she looked up at her savior to say thank you. It would have been really bad to have lost her yellow lifeline to future advancements in technology after all. When she did look up Kagome found herself inwardly cursing, using every four letter word Inuyasha had taught her throughout the years.

The bastard.

"Looking for this?" came his gruff voice.

Their eyes locked as she realized he had taken the stupid yellow thing in order to get her attention. He was such a child some times. Honestly, if he was in her time he'd be one of those delinquents who only broke the law for the inevitable attention he'd receive once his crimes became bad enough.

Before he could say another word she grabbed the bag and threw her toothbrush in the first compartment. "The answer is still no Inuyasha."

She locked gazes with him, determined to make today the day that she overcame this weakness. Yes, it would be today.

Immediately Inuyasha's eyes went slightly wider, and she felt her stomach sink when his ears flattened. As if on cue the dejected look overcame his regular features and at last it happened, the thing that always did her in, "I get it, it's not like I ever got what I wanted when I was a kid either. I guess I should be used to it."

* * *

Miroku, Sango and Shippo each re-entered the campsite with piles of wood in their hands. Miroku was the first to stop in his tracks, "Inuyasha, if we already had wood for breakfast why did you wake us up early and then send us out to get more?"

Inuyasha, being Inuyasha of course, gave no real response. He made a quick 'feh' sound before returning to his meal.

Sango dropped her pile on the ground as she turned to see whatever Kagome happened to be cooking. She had been starving since she woke up and it didn't help that Inuyasha had woken everyone up bright and early to gather wood for breakfast. No, she took that back, not everyone was woken up. He had specifically said that Kagome needed her rest as he sent her, Miroku and Shippo out.

But…they couldn't have been gone for longer than twenty minutes. She would hardly call that letting her sleep in. He must have woken her up only moments after they had left.

She peered into the pot with interest, Shippo was right beside her, having forgotten his pile of sticks as well.

Shippo jumped onto his surrogate mother's lap and looked at her in question, "Mommy, we're having Ramen for breakfast?"

Everyone noticed the glare Kagome sent Inuyasha but he just ignored it as he asked for his fourth bowl of the futuristic substance. Kagome looked down at the little fox kit in her lap, she tried to hold back a frustrated growl, "Mommy doesn't want to talk about it right now."

Kagome couldn't believe it, he was so manipulating they should just rename him Sesshomaru and be done with it. Honestly, how long had he thought this plan through? He had to of known that the others would have given her an excuse to ignore him so he sent them away. He sent them away to do something meaningless like gather firewood, so he could bully her into making his stupid Ramen!

Inuyasha had to have thought about this really hard too. He would have had to gather enough sticks to place in the extra blanket to make it look like there wasn't anything under it so he could send the others away but still have enough firewood that she could heat up his water. He would have also had to of cleared the clearing of all potential firewood so they didn't return to soon and interrupt his little 'guilting Kagome into what I want' session. It wasn't like the sleeping Kilala was going to help her out, but they would have.

When this was all over, she was frying his ass along with all the Ramen she could find!

And if she had been able to sleep at all for the last couple of weeks she might have had the energy to sit him, but as it stands, she was too tired to even do that. What a sad day this was turning out to be.

She looked up at her best friend as he slurped down another bowl. He placed it down ungracefully as he ladled out another helping for himself. She honestly couldn't decide which had more soup, the remaining pot or his face. He was absolutely covered. Then again…Kagome looked over to her right, Shippo wasn't doing much better either. But he was a child, and for now, that was tolerated. Inuyasha on the other hand should have known better than to act like some barbarian who had never seen food before.

"His manners are quite appalling aren't they?" came a masculine voice from her left.

Kagome absentmindedly nodded her head in agreement as she dazed quietly in the sun while sitting up. It was only after a few seconds of silent bliss that she realized something was wrong. Her eye's snapped open immediately as she took in her situation.

One, she knew that voice. Two, Inuyasha sure as hell didn't just say that about himself of all people. Three, Shippo's voice wasn't that deep and four, Miroku was sitting across from her and he was eating, therefore, no talking.

Her dream immediately came back to her full force. It was unmistakable, that was his voice.

Very slowly Kagome moved her neck so she could look to her left, praying that she was crazy and just hearing voices. Her eyes went wide with terror when what she was seeing registered in her brain.

Before her was the legendary dog demon in all his glory. Bright gold eye's, silver hair done up in his signature high pony tail and the intricate markings adorning is smooth face. He was crouched down and resting on the balls of his feet, both elbows resting pleasantly on his knees while his hands formed a fist underneath his chin. The dog lord was looking at the oblivious Inuyasha and no one else; eye's locked on his son. The same eye's that had pinned her down just moments before in her dreams.

"I-I-" was all she could manage.

With her stutter the demon's gaze shifted on towards her once again, "It is odd isn't it? It is almost as if his jaw becomes detached as he eats this Ramen substance of yours. Something in his demon senses must be drawn to it, with the way he begs for it. I wonder if it is from my side. Perhaps Sesshomaru would react in the same way," the demon paused for a moment as he contemplated what he had just said. Before he spoke he turned back towards Inuyasha, "No, Sesshomaru has too much control to ever be seen with manners like that, no matter how much he might like your Ramen."

A few seconds passed as the demon continued to watch his son and Kagome just sat there in bewilderment, on her own little log, to shocked to do anything about it. It wasn't until Shippo asked for seconds that she was knocked out of her fragile state of mind.

She immediately lost it.

With an ear piercing scream that made Inuyasha fall backwards due to the frequency of the pitch as well as the unexpectedness, the group quickly turned their attention to Kagome. Kagome, tripping while trying to stand up, fell backwards as well and right onto Shippo. His bowl immediately went flying out of his hands as the five foot six woman landed on him.

Before she could start her screaming again Inuyasha jumped in front of her and covered her mouth. "What the hell woman!"

She tried to scream again but it only came out as muffled protests. She tried peering around Inuyasha to see if, well, whatever it was, was still there. As she was looking frantically she tried to calm herself. She was probably just seeing things, and hearing things, and dreaming things too.

As soon as she calmed down a little bit the bane of her existence, which she was currently blaming on her over active imagination, decided to mess with her some more. The silver haired figure, who was a good couple of inches taller than her friend currently holding her down, walked around Inuyasha.

The creature was holding onto his pointed ears as he looked at her, "Now that hurt. Was there any particular reason for doing that? I mean, I know I'd dead and all but I do still have _some_ hearing."

Oh my god, her imagination was going completely overboard here. Inuyasha's dead father was lecturing her about keeping her voice down. She chaotically looked around the camp site, trying to find at least one reassuring face among the bunch, but all she was given was a bunch of blank stares.

Oh god, could none of them see him? Was she really that crazy? She was wasn't she? She knew it would hit one day, one can only live in two different time periods and witness so much before they went completely insane but she at least thought it would come after Naraku's defeat. They were so close too, no more jewel shards to hunt down, just the evil half demon to kill. What, she couldn't have held out a little longer? If it was possible to feel disappointed with yourself for being crazy she was defiantly experiencing it.

The figure that apparently only she could see finished walking over towards her, "I bet you think you are insane, don't you? While your life would probably be much simpler if I agreed with you, that is not the case. I am really here and only you can see or hear me."

"Wench!" her wide eyed gaze immediately traveled back to Inuyasha who had, unknown to her previous knowledge, let go of his grip over her mouth, "is there a particular reason you decided to do that?"

Maybe it was just her but she could have sworn his father had just said something like that for screaming at him. Damn, she could have hit herself. This…thing was not Inuyasha's father, and while she didn't know what it was she was positive it couldn't be real. "Inuyasha…do you see anything…unusual?"

His face went from confused to on the lookout in an instant. He sniffed the air and his previously flattened ears were on high alert, swishing every which way imaginable, "Why, you sense something?"

She looked over at the full blooded demon standing in front of her, "God I hope so."

Inuyasha gave another sniff and then crossed his arms, "I ain't smelling nothing wench."

She immediately turned towards Shippo and the now very awake Kilala, "What about you two? Anything?"

She was having a hard enough time controlling her wavering voice as it was and her situation didn't get any better as they both shook their heads no. After a few moments of contemplation she stood up and grabbed Inuyasha's hand. She immediately walked him over to where the figure stood, "What about now?"

Inuyasha hesitantly sniffed the area once again but shook his head no. Kagome very calmly, in her perspective anyways, looked over towards Miroku pleadingly. "Miroku please tell me you sense something, anything will do right now. I'll even let you grope me if you say yes."

For an instant the lecherous monk's eyes lit up but she quelled it with her serious glare. After clearing his throat he shook his head, "Sorry Kagome, there is nothing out of the ordinary."

Determined for her day not to get worse she slumped down on the nearest log, "Well that just sucks now doesn't it."

Sango walked forward in hopes of comforting her very depressed friend, "Is everything alright Kagome?"

"No, I'm seeing things and I don't particularly like it," was her reply.

Sango turned towards Inuyasha skeptically, "I'm starting to think you have been working us to hard if Kagome is seeing things."

"What? No way are you blaming me for that wench's problems," he argued.

Kagome just wasn't sure what to do anymore. Why did it have to be her that went crazy, come on, Inuyasha was way more prone to abnormalities than she was. While yes she had been pulled down a well that connected her time period to this time period and had been forced to meet her resurrected past self, Inuyasha was way worse. Really, the boy screamed multiple personality disorder. What about bipolar? At least borderline!

Let's see, he had his half demon side which was gruff, guarded, demanding and one of her favorite people around. Then there was his human side who was open, kind and affectionate, every girls dream right? And then there was his demon side who wanted to bless the world with untold amounts of bloodshed and living sacrifices. How again was _she_ diagnosed the crazy one?

She needed a solution. Kagome could not afford to go crazy right now. Maybe if she ignored him, the result of her overactive imagination, he would go away. It was possible right? Crazier things had happened right? She was five hundred years in the past wasn't she?

"Wench, you sure you're okay? We can only travel half of the day if you need a break. You'll slow the whole group down but I guess I could fit it in," he said almost sincerely.

She placed her hand on her head and closed her eyes. Trust Inuyasha to only allow half a day off as his best friend went crazy right before his eyes. Only Inuyasha could say something like that and still make it sound sweet.

She once again opened her eyes to see the annoying figure that she was really coming to despise standing right behind Inuyasha, looking over his son's shoulder. No, he wasn't there, Kagome repeatedly chanted to herself. She stood up and brushed her clothes off as she considered her options. Even while crazy she wasn't going pass up an offer like Inuyasha's, he had been driving them like cattle with a cause and there was no way she was going through another day like that if she could get out of it.

"Yeah, could we only walk half the day, it would really clear my head," spoke Kagome sincerely.

"Fine, but we pack up now, we can stop at dinner," he said while grabbing her yellow bag and stuffing it with the remaining Ramen.

Miroku walked up to her as he watched his friend, "You sure you are alright Kagome? You were just talking about seeing things."

She looked at the silver haired projection that was standing in the same place. She, under no circumstances, would admit to seeing him, "I'm fine Miroku, I just wanted to get out of walking all day."

Miroku laughed, "Could have fooled me, it was a great plan though. Lately he keeps us walking until late at night."

Both Miroku and Sango left as she continued to rub the base of her head. She was going to have a migraine if her day continued on like this.

"Mommy, do you need any help with your sleeping bag?" asked Shippo.

Releasing her hold on her head Kagome looked at her adopted son. For some reason Shippo absolutely loved playing with her sleeping bag. She had watched as he attacked the poor thing with all of his strength, trying to best the strange contraption. She couldn't really blame him. It was hard enough for most people in her own time to try and get the giant thing in its little bag. For him it must be like defeating a demon twice his size.

"Go ahead, I'm just going to lay down a minute," and pretend this day never happened she added on in her head. One of these day's she swore she was going to have a normal day.

* * *

One quick question. How in the world was she supposed to ignore this thing when it kept talking to her? Honestly, this thing really had to be something only she could have thought up because neither Inuyasha nor Sesshomaru had ever spoken this many words in the time that she knew either one of them.

"One of these days you are going to have to listen to me little one," said the voice to her left.

She continued to ignore it.

"You know for a human you are rather stubborn as well as resilient. Good because both of my sons are idiots and you will need that in order to get through to them. I find your traits rather admirable," he continued.

Great, had she just complimented herself? Something was wrong with this entire picture. Oh yes, there was a demon that only she could hear or see standing right next to her.

She just wasn't sure what to try anymore. She had tried covering her ears but she was just given weird looks from the others, she had tried closing her eyes but in case no one knew, that didn't really work while walking. She had even tried counting random numbers in her head but as soon as the stupid projection of a demon figured out what she was doing, she could only guess that she was mouthing the numbers, he purposefully threw her off by spouting off random figures.

She just couldn't take it anymore. Kagome looked up towards Inuyasha's leading figure, "Hey, can we take a break? I'm hungry. There has to be some type of river around here. What do you think about fish for lunch?"

Inuyasha stopped and turned around, "Alright, we can take a break."

Miroku and Shippo immediately fell down onto the ground in exhaustion while Sango slumped down, giant boomerang in hand. She had to try not to laugh, who would have thought that her, the girl who grew up in the city, had more stamina than them? Now that was just ironic.

"Finally going to listen to me? Good, because I was running out of things to say," came the same voice.

Kagome felt her eye twitch in annoyance and she immediately swung around, "You are not here, I am not talking to you and eventually I am going laugh about this but until then, _don't_ mess with me."

Kagome turned back around to face her friends. Luckily they were too busy catching their breath in order to see her little outburst. Inuyasha on the other hand was staring at her openly.

"What?" she asked.

"You were just whispering…to a tree," he finished.

"It's a futuristic thing," she said quickly. Kagome knew it was lame but nothing else came to mind that Inuyasha wouldn't question.

He shook his head, "Then I don't want to know, your time period is weird. Look, I'm going to go get some fish. Stick around, these forests are thick and I don't know if I'll be able to hear you if you scream in case you wander off."

She saluted him like she would a drill captain and he once again let it slide without asking questions. Quite quickly he left the open space and as soon as she knew her friends weren't looking Kagome left the clearing. She needed to vent her frustrations and a really good scream was in order here.

"So are we finally going to talk about what we need to do?" came his smooth voice.

She ignored him. Once she was far enough into the forest that she felt secure to let loose another wild and ear piercing scream, quite similar to the ones she let out when she first caught on that she was crazy, she turned around and faced her advisory. "I'm going to get rid of you."

"W-" he started but she cut him off with the scream she had needed to get out since Inuyasha had covered her mouth earlier that day. Kagome closed her eyes and continued to screech until her voice went hoarse. She opened her eyes cautiously. Wasn't the screaming supposed to make her feel better, she didn't really feel all that better.

Kagome looked around the deserted clearing surrounding her to sigh in relief. Even if the screaming didn't help emotionally it certainly got rid of the demon with a stalking habit and _that_ certainly made her feel better.

"Humans are much louder than I remember," came the same smooth voice from down below.

Almost in denial Kagome looked down. By her feet and lying down on his stomach, his hands' covering his pointed ears, was the silver haired demon. Well there goes her good feeling.

"Why aren't you going away?" she almost cried. It was too much. She was tired, hungry, delusional and her day was not getting any better.

"Because I chose you to help me," came his reply as he tried to sit up.

Kagome immediately slumped down onto the ground so she could sit across from him. They were eye level now and Kagome knew exactly what she had to say, "Alright, obviously you are not leaving until I deal with you, but what I can't figure out is why you are here. I know I have problems in my life and all but I always thought I dealt with change pretty well. I see no need for Inuyasha's father of all people, for my brain to dream up in order to help me."

"I am not your imagination little one. I am really here, flesh and blood…except for the flesh and blood part. I am actually only a spirit with no body to speak of. I have traveled from the afterlife in order to fix a…little problem than has arisen through the years," he said in a fatherly tone.

Kagome nodded her head as she took in what he was saying, "So basically, I have an issue with my own father than needs to be resolved. Thank you for telling me that, you can go now."

She immediately stood up and left the clearing, determined to solve her little problem. So she wasn't going crazy, she just had some type of internal conflict that needed solving. Okay, she could do that, al-

Before she could finish the thought her mysterious friend suddenly materialized in front of her.

She bit back a yelp as the figure stood before her, "You have a tendency to only hear what you want to hear don't you?"

Kagome closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, "And here I had just convinced myself that I wasn't loosing it."

She took a step forward but tripped over a vine. If Kagome was being honest with herself it would have dawned on her that she half expected the creature of her imagination to catch her but instead she felt a cool breeze rush thought her body as her own figure went straight through his. With a thud she landed on the ground.

Twisting her head to the side Kagome looked at her would be savior. If she didn't know any better she would have said he was smirking, "So you're clumsy when the time is appropriate. It seems your body knows when it can relax and that is when you fall. Good, I can use that, it's less suspicious."

She didn't even want to know what he meant. Kagome immediately stood back up and headed for her group. She did not want to deal with this right now. She burst through the clearing where she knew Inuyasha and the others were waiting for her and just as expected Inuyasha was giving her a menacing glare.

"I told you not to leave the clearing," he said fiercely.

"And I always listen to what you tell me to do. Any more fish left over?" she asked politely.

Inuyasha huffed and handed her a grilled fish. Before she could take a bite the silver haired demon rematerialized next to her. "I would think that a girl who travels though time would be more accepting towards spirits."

She ignored him and took a bite out of her fish.

"What if I could prove to you I'm real?" he asked suddenly.

Kagome stopped mid chew and looked at him, "Alright, try me."

The demon Lord pointed towards Inuyasha, "I know everything there is to know about him. I have watched him for most of his life. Ask a question you don't already know and I'll answer it."

Kagome took another bite out of her fish. Even she had to admit this was a very good opportunity. If she was seeing things then the answers wouldn't be right, if they were right then he was really there. If he _was_ right, everything that she had ever wanted to know about Inuyasha would be fair game.

Kagome turned towards her best friend, "Hey Inuyasha, how old are you?"

Inuyasha pulled away his fish from his open mouth and looked at her skeptically, "I don't remember."

She looked towards her friend's supposed father. He smirked, "Two hundred and fifty seven years, nine months and seven days."

She turned again, "You wouldn't happen to be two hundred and fifty seven years, nine months and seven days old would you?"

Inuyasha's fish fell to the ground as his eyes widened and mouth flew open, stuttering in disbelief, "How-"

She immediately cut him off, "How is not important. What I want to know is why you didn't tell us about at least two of your birthdays!" yelled Kagome as she lectured Inuyasha.

Sango and Miroku looked on in disbelief. How had Kagome learned such information? They knew their friend had her ways but that _had_ to be magic.

Inuyasha carefully, and without lifting his gaze from Kagome's form picked up his nearly forgotten fish. If she didn't know Inuyasha's personality so well she would have said his outstretched arm was shaking.

"It seems you have ruffled up my boy's fur," spoke her new found friend in an amused fashion.

"Alright, my interest is caught," Kagome directed towards her informant. "Inuyasha, is there a particular reason you never change out of that outfit? Almost every time I try to clean it you bite my head off," she asked.

"…I gave it to him, the cloth anyways. His mother hand stitched it for him as he grew older. It is one of the only things he has that both of us have somehow contributed in giving him," said the older man.

Kagome looked over at Inuyasha, "Either you tell me or I tell you. Your answer is more important than you think."

"I-I…my old man left it with my mother when I was born. My mom had me wearing it ever since," he finished.

She knew that had to have been hard for him. He was never one for talking about things related to his parents and she deeply respected him for being honest with her. Although Inuyasha had left some details out Kagome could tell what the spirit had told her was true.

"Last question, when was the first time you met Sesshomaru?" she asked.

"He was about five in demon years. Sesshomaru was…not kind. It was recently after his mother's death and Inuyasha was running from a group of demons intent on killing him. He ran into Sesshomaru's legs. Both immediately recognized the other as family, pack members if you will. Sesshomaru…sidestepped Inuyasha and let the demons continue to chase him, my eldest going his own way," said the spirit, his voice laced with regret.

Kagome continued to look expectantly at Inuyasha, "I was little. No older than five in demon terms."

Kagome closed her eyes as she contemplated all she had just learned. One, Inuyasha really did have a rotten childhood, two Sesshomaru had always been a jerk and three, she wasn't crazy. At least the last one was a good one…maybe.

Putting the remainder of her fish down she stood up and headed over for the tree line, "I'm going for a walk, I think I need one. I'll be back in a little bit so don't worry."

With that said she headed into the tree's, her stalker of a spirit right behind her. Once she knew she was out of hearing distance, over the years she had made sure to learn Inuyasha's limits, Kagome turned towards her spirit.

"Before we start I want your name. I don't know what to call you."

He smiled, "You can call me Touga little one."

"Alright Touga, what exactly is going on?" she asked.

"I have something I need fixing and only you can help me. You are a very powerful priestess and trained or not you still have that power. It is through that power that I was able to connect to and then lock onto you. Only you can see and hear me because you are my connection to this world. You are the only one strong enough to sustain my spirit," he concluded.

"Why did you seem happy that I didn't know how to control my powers?" asked Kagome.

"Two reason's mainly. One, my son does not want you to learn how to control your powers because he fears that if you come into your strength that you will no longer need him. He rather likes being needed by you. This speaks volumes about how much he cares for and respects you. The second one is more for my…personal gain," he said with the same conniving smile.

"Personal gain?" asked Kagome.

"Yes, you see, without knowledge of your powers there is no way to overcome me when I wish for you to do something. You see, while in the afterlife a demon of my caliber can tap into an untrained miko's power through their bond. You see, priests and priestesses were not originally meant to be the enemy of demon's, in fact they were originally designed to help progress the species. Your kind was designed by the Kami's to be the mediators between demon and human kind. It was only until demons saw human's as inferior and worthless that there has been a drift between our species. In truth your kind has a very long history with demons, one which I'm afraid to say, both sides have forgotten. Luckily, this particular mishap seems to be in my favor," he stated smugly.

Kagome's eyes grew. What? He can control her powers? How was it he could do that when all she could do is shoot only a half decent arrow?

"I didn't use it before because I didn't want to frighten you, but I will get you to do what I want," he said fiercely.

Kagome gulped, "And what exactly is it you want me to do?"

"You little one, are going to fix the gap between my sons. You will make them the brothers they were meant to be."


	2. He's Crazy

**Recap:**

_Kagome's eyes grew. What? He can control her powers? How was it he could do that when all she could do is shoot only a half decent arrow?_

"_I didn't use it before because I didn't want to frighten you, but I will get you to do what I want," he said fiercely._

_Kagome gulped, "And what exactly is it you want me to do?"_

"_You little one, are going to fix the gap between my sons. You will make them the brothers they were meant to be."_

* * *

Kagome stared at him dumfoundedly, "You want me too…" she started but couldn't seem to finish her sentence.

"I want you, little one, to fix this little blip my boys are having," he said calmly while watching a passing squirrel climb up its tree.

With his second declaration she quickly came to her conclusion. This man was crazy, he was a lunatic. It was the only possible solution; there was just no other way.

Damn, she wasn't exactly sure what to be feeling right now. While it was nice to know that you yourself weren't crazy it isn't exactly heartening to learn that the person you are possibly working for is. Double damn, this just wasn't her day. Alright, the best way to deal with a crazy person is through a calm, rational mind.

"A little blip!" screamed Kagome, "You call this a little blip? You are insane, a damn ass lunatic! Did they torture you in hell that bad? Did you lose all reason? Because as much as I would like to see those two work together and not try to kill each other I know it's not going to happen. Those idiots hate each other as much as they hate Naraku...okay, maybe not quite that much but you get my point!" she finished with a furious yell.

The dead demon lord before her blinked a few times as he took in her disheveled appearance and angry features, "So when you are angry or frustrated you yell," he said suddenly.

If Kagome didn't know any better she would say the demon was diagnosing her traits.

"My boy Sesshomaru is going to have a hard time with that one. I have to say I am looking forward to it. From what I have managed to gather you should be able to control him as much as you do Inuyasha, though in a completely different manner of course," he said absentmindedly, like he wasn't suggesting the impossible.

Kagome grumbled to herself, "Perhaps I'm not being clear. I'm not angry or frustrated; I just don't think you realize the magnitude of the situation. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru do not just simply not get a long, they absolutely loath each other. This is not going to be fixed over night."

Touga blinked a few times before looking at her again, "Well of course not. Which is why I need you. Inuyasha listens to you and furthermore, you know more of what that boy wants or needs than even he does. If anyone can convince him to look at Sesshomaru as an older brother and not an enemy it is you."

Kagome massaged her temples tiredly, "Alright, let's say I could convince Inuyasha to look at Sesshomaru in a different light, what about Sesshomaru himself? He is not going to start having a heart just because Inuyasha is looking at him differently. I could only convince Inuyasha of so much, his brother would have to prove whatever I was saying. In case you haven't met your eldest, that is not going to happen."

"Not on his own, no, my boy is to…difficult for that," came Touga's slow but deliberate response.

"Difficult? That wasn't quite the word I was thinking of," came Kagome's semi-snort.

Touga gave her a slight warning glare, "Sesshomaru was raised in a time of war. Where hate and loathing elevated your rank, where power was all that mattered because without it you would surely perish. He cannot help it that he see's others as unworthy of his time. He is difficult because he was raised to be so. If you were a simpleton you did not last long."

"Then why can Inuyasha do it?" countered Kagome. "When I first met him he was awful. He was brash, rude, demanding, blood happy and self oriented. How could he change in such a small amount of time compared to Sesshomaru's hundreds of years?"

Touga looked towards the bright blue sky patches shinning through the trees, and then back towards his self proclaimed miko, "Two reasons. One being that Inuyasha is part human. Human's by nature have the ability to feel, to love and to change. That is one of the qualities that will allow their species to thrive and I am glad to say that my youngest has developed such a quality."

"…and the second reason?" inquired Kagome.

Touga's eyes focused solely on her and she had the distinct impression that he was seeing something beyond her, beyond anything she could ever hope to see. Finally, he spoke, "He had you."

"M-me?" she stuttered. On impulse she took a few steps backwards, "What do I have to do with any of this?"

He looked at her with all the affection in the world shinning through his honey colored eyes, "You, little one, opened a whole new world to Inuyasha. One where his emotions were welcomed, received, expressed upon and rewarded for. In any other point in his life Inuyasha faced trials where his emotions would only end up hurting him. You provided a safe environment where he could express and explore what he had spent his entire life suppressing. You have made him into the man he is today."

"I…I don't think so. Kikyo was the one that he loved, not me. If anything she should be getting the credit," she once again stuttered. Kagome was not used to praise, or the look of thankfulness that was crossing Touga's face.

"Kikyo did nothing for my son except show him what _she_ wanted out of life. Unfortunately, even to this day my son still holds onto the ideal image he has made of her, no matter how false it is. After having no one to think of except himself for centuries he immediately took on her desires as his own in hope of feeling something besides loathing," Touga shook his head almost angrily, "she didn't even except him. She liked the idea of defying the elders, of claiming love to a half demon. She liked the idea of not being perfect. In the end, if she had truly accepted him, her selfish desire for him to turn human would not have crossed her mind, let alone her lips."

Kagome had never thought of it that way. She had always figured the two were in love with each other, not the idea of what the other represented, "But…she allowed him to feel."

"Her emotions, not his own. No little one, you did that all on your own. This is why I have hope for my son's," he finished.

"I-I…" Kagome needed to get off of this topic. Praise was not something she was used to receiving and it was extremely unnerving. "I can't do it. I can't even get within a mile of Sesshomaru without him trying to kill me, besides we still have Naraku to kill. We can't just put that on hold because they need some brother bonding time."

Touga smiled, "You will think of something to balance the two out," but his jovial expression changed quickly, causing him to sigh heavily as he took in her hesitant expression.

Obviously she was more worried about Naraku than Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's relationship. He frowned; apparently he was going to have to compromise in order to get what he wanted. If only his friends could see him now, bargaining with a female miko.

"Now, since I know you are worried about this Naraku pest, head here," he pointed in a direction with his long manicured claw, "that is where Naraku is hiding. The sooner you find him the sooner you can do what _I_ want."

"W-what!" she yelled but stopped when she saw him smiling. Did he just tell her what she thought he told her?

Suddenly the brush behind her shook and she turned around to see Inuyasha stepping out of the trees. "Wench, you talking to yourself again?"

"…Um…futuristic thing…remember?" Kagome internally groaned, she _so_ needed a better line.

"Whatever, we're heading out. We're not staying in this stupid area any longer," Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and lead her back to the camp. Kagome easily complied in hopes of figuring out Touga's statement. He said he knew where Naraku was, but how could he know that? Then again, he was dead and probably did know more things than they did. Was there such a thing as contacts in the underworld?

Inuyasha pulled her into the clearing where her friends waited. Kagome looked back over at Touga in question, not seeing why she shouldn't take his advice. They had no leads and were currently heading in whatever particular direction Inuyasha chose.

"Umm…Inuyasha, I'm not sure but I think I sense part of the jewel…a large part," Kagome said quietly, almost hoping Inuyasha wouldn't hear her. Oh god he would kill her if he ever figured out she was lying through her teeth. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you saw it, he stopped.

Sango and Miroku both looked at her as well. Kagome silently swore to herself, hoping she was making the right decision. If that stupid demon was just running her in circles in hopes of making her crazier than she already was Kagome swore she'd find a way to skin him, even with his lacking of actual skin.

"What?" stuttered the half-demon.

With a quick glance towards Touga and a nod of his approval she pointed into the direction that he had pointed out earlier. "It is really faint," _lie_, "but I know I sense something," _another_ _lie_, "and I think we should follow it," _and yet another lie_.

"Alright, well let's head that way," said Miroku while picking up Kilala while she was in her small form.

Inuyasha stopped him with a claw on his shoulder and looked at Kagome fiercely, "Are you sure that is it that way Kagome?"

Kagome felt like grimacing but turned it into a smile. No she wasn't sure, she was listening to a crazy and obsessed dead guy after all, "I'm pretty sure, but it seemed really far off, and it was only a flash, like it was on accident."

They watched as Inuyasha contemplated something in his head, what it was she would never know…and then it hit her. The way that she had pointed, it seemed to be the direction that Inuyasha had been running from for the last couple of days. But why?

"Alright, we'll head that way, but everyone keep a sharp look out alright?" he said quickly before heading in the described direction.

"What was all that about?" asked Sango.

"No idea," answered Kagome as both girls increased their pace in order to keep up with Inuyasha.

* * *

It had been a week, a week where Inuyasha was nothing but sour. Not only had he been in a horrible mood but he was snappy too. And he was so fidgety! Especially for the last three days, he would jump at the smallest sound. Just the other night he went feral on a rabbit and used the wind scar on it…the poor thing. Why he was in such a bad mood she didn't know but she had a feeling it had something to do with where they were heading, of course he would never tell her that. Touga wouldn't tell her anything either, just that this was the direction they needed to head.

Stupid dog demons. Where they all this impossible or was she just that lucky? Of course Touga hadn't left her alone about the Sesshomaru and Inuyasha thing either. He had spent night and day trying to convince her to go through with it but what didn't he get about it? It wasn't that she didn't want to but she couldn't. There were other priorities at hand, and at least they were achievable and not the dreams of a dead guy with too much time and power on his hands. And here she thought that Touga's information about Naraku was some form of a truce declaring that he would lay off for a bit.

Apparently not.

Well, at least he _was_ helping with the Naraku thing. He had said it was because the sooner they solved this, the sooner she could help him. At least he was _somewhat_ sensible. It made her wonder why Inuyasha never picked that trait up, perhaps-

"Kagome!" yelled Inuyasha.

She immediately ducked on instinct as he yelled her name. Luckily she dropped just in time to see a wind blade go slicing past her. With her hands over her head and hair frazzled from the wind she looked up to see Kagura, the wind witch, gliding on her feather, ready for another strike.

Kagome turned towards Touga, "You couldn't have warned me? You should know by now that I am oblivious to most things when I start talking to myself!"

Touga shrugged as he told her to duck. She did just that and then rolled to the side in hopes of avoiding the second attack that was sent her way. Once she was back on her feet, arrows in hand, she looked around the field. It seemed they had caught the woman off guard, if her shocked and angry expression said anything. That meant that Naraku wasn't the one to send her, they actually had a lead on Naraku's whereabouts.

She looked towards Touga in surprise, "You weren't lying?"

She had to admit, she had been a little skeptical about this whole thing, but it seemed that her faith was placed in him correctly. It was moments like this that she was always proud of herself.

Touga's expression suddenly looked offended, like something horrible had been said about him, "I am an Inu Lord, I do not lie, now make her head that way," he motioned towards a hill, "there is an abandoned castle you can trap her in. Her wind will do her no good while trapped inside."

Kagome looked towards the hill and then back over at Touga. Once she had decided that while crazy, he was a brilliant strategist, she followed his orders. She shot her arrow towards Kagura in a way that would graze her back with her priestess powers and force her towards the supposed castle. There was no way Kagura's wind would let an arrow hit her so in reality, this was a very good plan. If they could get her in an enclosed area she would be very limited.

Miroku, quickly caught on the direction that Kagome was trying to lead Kagura into, although he didn't know why his friend would make such an attempt, and began to help her. It wasn't until they somehow made it over the hill that Kagome froze…and Inuyasha threatened to kill her. God she could hear his yells from all the way over here. Then again, she couldn't really blame him.

Before her stood a castle, but it was in no way abandoned. In fact, there were numerous guards placed at all entrances. What really made her day was the Inu Clan flag that sat atop the highest tower, blowing in the breeze. Kagome furiously turned towards Touga all the while remembering his previously offended face, "Please tell me this is not Sesshomaru's castle!"

"…" no response came from him.

Her eyes widened, "You little liar! Abandoned! Whatever, no wonder Inuyasha was so dead set on getting way from this place! I cannot believe I fell for your act either! Offended? You were just making sure I headed this way!"

He turned towards the furious woman, "Well it wasn't like you were going to come here on your own, I had to get you here sometime. It was just coincidental that Naraku seemed to be passing through here as well."

"Just for that, I'm making sure we leave this awful place you crazy old dog," she hissed, but before she could turn around and yell at the others to retreat, Kagura or not, she was not letting Touga win, a steady claw grabbed her upper arm. For a second she thought it was Inuyasha but then she realized that he was charging in her direction. He had to be a good hundred feet away so that sort of left him out as an option.

Well who else in their group has claws? Shippo? No, to small. Kilala? No, these were like hands…who else did that leave. There was no way Touga had found a way to materialize so…apparently she needed to turn around. When she did Kagome kind of wished that she hadn't. Well, at least it wasn't Sesshomaru right?

"Let her go!" yelled Inuyasha as he stepped towards her and her captor.

The guard that was still holding her arm yanked her towards him, "You are trespassers on Lord Sesshomaru's ground, you will all need to come in with us."

Kagome growled loudly in turn startling the guards, great. She didn't even feel this guy or his four friends approach her. Touga was really a bad influence if she was so distracted she couldn't even sense demonic auras anymore. First Kagura and now Sesshomaru's guards dressed in blue? She really needed to work on this multitasking bit.

Inuyasha huffed at the situation and looked at Kagome in annoyance. She glared back at him, disbelief crossing her face as she realized that he blamed her for their little predicament. Oh hell no, he was not pinning this on her, this was all him and his stupid, stupid father, "You could have told us where we were heading!"

The guard froze as he heard the way the human female was talking to the half breed. He had never seen a woman so…feisty that way. He looked at his surrounding men to see many of them just as baffled. Women of the court were taught to be docile and gentle, but she was…fuming.

"Oh don't start with me wench. I didn't know this was exactly where it was alright. I just knew it was around here somewhere. You know, if you weren't so useless maybe we wouldn't even be in this predicament," he countered.

"I'm useless? I'm sorry, I didn't realize you could sense the jewel shards all on your own. Well don't let me get in your way. It's obvious you don't need me so just go on in your merry little way," she crossed her arms, guard still attached, and made a shooing motion with her hands.

Inuyasha stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds, "You-you did not just shoo me! You stupid woman!" he pointed his finger at her in disbelief, "T-take that back!"

"Make me," she spat, knowing that Inuyasha couldn't charge her while the guards were still around. It would be too large of a disturbance and Sesshomaru would be alerted, and neither one of them wanted that.

Miroku approached Inuyasha very carefully as he watched the scene unfold. Leave it to these two to fight while being put under arrest, "Inuyasha, maybe we should just reason with the guards. Kagura is long gone and it will take a while for us to find her trail again."

"Oh hell no, we aren't going anywhere until the wench takes that back!" yelled Inuyasha.

"Well then obviously we are going to be here for a while," she countered.

Suddenly a very old, high pitched and horribly familiar voice broke into their conversation, "What is that wench doing here?!"

Kagome turned around to see none other than Jaken heading up the hill, strait towards them. Oh crap, now Sesshomaru was going to find out about this and they were never going to get out of the Western Lands before he caught up to them. She turned to glare at the ghostly projection that was standing in the middle of the field, a smile on his face. If only she could sick another spirit after him or something.

"Master Jaken, you know these people?" came one of the guards' response.

"Yes, this wench is…Inuyasha! Lord Sesshomaru's half brother! What are you doing here?" he yelled in shock as he saw Inuyasha for apparently the first time.

"I don't know," Kagome ridiculed, "I'm here, so I'm thinking he would be here too. We do tend to travel together after all."

"Insolent wench!" yelled Jaken.

"Hey, you cannot call me that you mean little toad!" Kagome yelled at Jaken. She tried to move to kick him but the guard's grip help true. Stupid demon strength, she really needed to find a way to counter that. Oh, wait; she's a priestess isn't she? Maybe that could work.

With all her concentration she pooled her energy into the arm the demon guard was still holding, in hopes of burning him just enough to let go. She let lose a triumphant smirk as she felt her powers reaching the surface of her skin. She might be a horrible priestess with absolutely no training but she did know how to do a few things, and this was one of them. But before she could gloat she suddenly felt her powers swiftly pull themselves back inside her and into the deep reaches of her soul.

What the hell? She quickly looked around to see what had happened only to find Touga grinning at her from pointy ear to pointy ear. She groaned, this had to be some sick perverted joke! Influencing her powers she could understand, even accept, but overpowering her own use! Now she felt even more pathetic than before.

Damn stupid dog demons, they all just needed a good sitting! Oh what she would give for a collar on Touga like she had on Inuyasha. No more late night nightmares of Inuyasha dying by Sesshomaru's hand because she failed to do as Touga so kindly 'asked'. An actual night of sleep, real live sleep!

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Kagome wasn't sure how to view things anymore, the guards seemed to snap out of their blank state of mind while Kagome stood rambling to herself about dog demons.

"You are Lord Inuyasha?" asked the guard to the left.

Inuyasha blinked a few times as he took in what the guard said. Did…he just say Lord? He did didn't he...was this guy nuts? He was anything but a Lord.

"Take this wench to the dungeon right now!" yelled Jaken's high pitched voice.

"What?" she said quietly while taking in the situation.

Suddenly she found herself jolted forward as the guard that held her upper arm dragged her towards the castle. Her eyes immediately went wide as she took in the situation. She was being sent to the dungeons! And not just anyone's dungeons, but Sesshomaru's. This was so not her week. First the stupid ghost that only she could see and now this?

With slight hesitation Kagome tried to re-summon her powers but soon found that method to once again fail her. Before she could try again she was jerked to the left just in time to see Inuyasha's claws heading for her, or more specifically, towards the guard currently holding her hostage.

She immediately ducked as the half demon's razor sharp claws made their way over her head. Instantaneously she was thrown into the arms of another demon guard and was pushed out of the fight.

"You will be coming with me," said a smooth voice from behind her.

Kagome looked up to see a demon with the same blue vest on that symbolized him as a guard. He had already effectively wrapped his arm around her waist and she found herself being lifted off the ground. Kagome, being human and obviously not used to managing such heights on her own or at least without Inuyasha or Kilala, did the instinctive thing and latched on to the guard as he sprinted to the castle. As soon as they reached the front gates the man landed and banged on the door with his fist.

While he was preoccupied Kagome managed to turn around and see the fight that was happening. Inuyasha's desperate attempts to reach her through the multitude of guards, Miroku and Sango's own attempts to reach her through the skies and Shippo's…wait, where was Shippo?

She suddenly heard a cry from the guard that had carried her and she turned around to see a small fox kit latched onto the grown demon's arm…with his teeth.

He was such a little cutie.

Not wanting to give the guard an opening she reached for her son and pulled him off the un-expecting demon. Damn, if Touga wasn't going to let her use her priestess powers then she was just going to have to do this the old fashion way.

In a flash she was on her way back up the hill, Shippo in her arms, and running as fast as her human legs could carry her.

Suddenly Touga was racing by her side to brighten her already wonderful day, "You should just give up."

Kagome growled as the guard suddenly appeared before her, "You should just shut up," she whispered back.

Dodging to the left Kagome weaved again to the right, effectively managing to get herself out of the way of the demon's attempted kidnapping. She immediately made another mad dash as another demon guard arrived. She skidded to a stop as a third guard appeared but as soon as she attempted another turn Kagome felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. She looked to the left to see another hand reach out from nowhere and grab Shippo from her, pulling the little boy away from her desperate grasp. The demon was effectively gagging him with the armored hand attached to his body.

Suddenly everything became very clear. Her instincts kicked in as she realized the situation, no one touches Shippo.

Mustering up as much force as she could, Kagome elbowed her attacker in the gut, sending him a good few feet back and rolling in pain. She immediately swung towards her next victim with a roundhouse kick to the head and gave another figure in blue a back kick with a jab.

If she would have been paying attention she would have realized a few things. She would have realized that a wimpy little human should not have been able to kick a demon through a tree, or travel at such high speeds, but she _wasn't_ paying attention. All she saw was red as soon as her baby was taken forcibly from her arms.

The moment she had the chance she rushed to Shippo's side as the little boy tried to sit up on his own, "Are you alright? Any cuts? Bruises?"

Kagome immediately started checking the boy for any sign of injury and sighed with relief when she found none. After she was sure Shippo was safe and sound, she immediately went into mother mode, battlefield or not. "How dare you attack a full blown trained demon soldier like that. Do you know what he could have done to you? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"But momma!" started Shippo but she cut him off.

"Oh don't you dare start Shippo! I swear, if I wasn't so ready to rip off Inuyasha's head I would seriously consider grounding you, or better yet, making you spend a whole day with Inuyasha…alone!"

Unbeknownst to them, they had gathered an audience. Six soldiers in blue to be exact. Though, they seemed to be rather baffled by both scenes before them, the battlefield and the…mother? But the kit was a full blown demon, she couldn't be his mother…could she? And were they really arguing during the middle of a battle?

"Mom! You cannot make me spend the whole day with him! He'll eat me alive, you know how much he likes to beat me up when you are not around!" whined the fox demon.

"Well maybe it will teach you not to take on someone twice your size. Please Shippo, if there is one thing I'm going to ask of you it is not to pick up Inuyasha's head strong fighting techniques. You know that man couldn't come up with a decent plan…let alone follow it," countered Kagome.

Shippo's face gained a very light blush as he thought about what she had said. He immediately looked at the ground, digging his toes into the forest floor while twirling his thumbs. His momma was right, he didn't have a plan. He had just bitten the demon in hopes that his mother would take care of the rest.

Kagome sighed and stepped next to him, "Though I am very proud of what you did, I just don't want to see you get hurt. Inuyasha hasn't had any time to train you so you can't protect yourself. As soon as you have some proper training I'll get off your case…a little…but I just want to make sure you are safe until then."

"I know, and I'm sorry I bit that man like that," said Shippo quietly. He looked up at her in question, "Do I have to say I'm sorry?"

Kagome thought about it, "If we were sticking around perhaps, and he wasn't kidnapping me of course, I would make you, but I think for now I'll let it go."

Shippo immediately jumped into her arms, "Thank you momma. I promise I won't do something like that again."

On a reactionary level of having the kit in her arms, she hugged him back.

"Umm…" came another gruff voice.

She looked up to see the surrounding six guards who were staring at the three still sprawled on the ground. With a sigh of defeat she took in their expressions, "You are still going to take me aren't you?"

The guard in the middle looked around the clearing and then back at her and the fox demon in her arms, "Y-yes…" he looked at his fellow comrades to make sure they would back him up if the woman attacked again.

Kagome squeezed Shippo tighter, seeing that there really was no way out of this. She was just going to have to get herself captured and then break out. Surely Miroku could keep Sango and Inuyasha from doing something drastic for at least a couple of hours right? He was the sensible one after all.

"Alright, I'll go with you if you don't touch my son or take him away from me," there was no way she was sending him back out onto that battlefield in hopes that he would run into one of their friends.

"Alright my Lady, we'll make sure neither of you are touched nor separated," spoke a second guard.

Kagome reluctantly walked towards the first guard, thanking the high heavens Touga wasn't laughing at her from the sidelines. She quickly glanced to her left as she watched the transparent figure. No, he wasn't laughing, just smirking uncontrollably.

Stupid dog.

Both her and Shippo were immediately led through the gates this time, no banging on the door and no possible escape route. As much as she wanted to, in hopes of finding some way out of this little predicament, she tried to scan the area for an escape route, but was surrounded by blue. She couldn't see anything, not even the stupid stone wall. Honestly, she wasn't going to try to escape again…at least yet anyways.

Without further notice Kagome found herself walking through another set of doors and the surrounding air became colder. A sudden shiver ran through Shippo as she held him tighter. No, it wasn't just her, Shippo felt it too, this place was awful. Although she couldn't see her surroundings it didn't take much to guess that the castle wasn't meant to be friendly.

"Shit," said the guard in front of her suddenly. He turned around quickly in order to face the other guards. "The Northern Lord is currently occupying the wing that leads to the dungeons. We can't go through the war room either. That is where the Lord's are meeting."

The guard to her left looked down at her and Shippo. "We will have to go through the dining room and through the servant quarters."

Kagome let out a small sigh for a few reasons. One, they weren't going to try to take her to the war room where apparently Sesshomaru was, because if that happened she probably wouldn't even make it to the dungeons and two, they had just given her three escape routes.

Both her and Shippo were quickly shoved forward and around another hallway. It was only when they made it through another doorway that Kagome collided face first into the guard in front of her. She rubbed her noise while she continued to hold Shippo. Honestly who stops that suddenly? No 'hey, I'm stopping, watch out so you don't kill yourself on my spiky armor', really what was with that?

"What is the meaning of this guard?" asked a very authoritative voice.

The guard before her stood speechless as she tried to peek around him.

"Momma, you're not going to want to do that," said a very fearful Shippo.

Kagome immediately stopped, sensing her son's fear rolling off him in waves.

"Is this the kind of help you hire Sesshomaru? One that interrupts our meals after a very tiring meeting?" came the same voice.

Kagome's eyes widened, "Oh God no," she whispered.

"I assure you, they must be new," came the very calm and collected voice of the demon Lord who had tried to kill her on more occasions than she really wanted to count.

Kagome had a sudden urge to hold onto the guard in front of her and never let go. In fact, she was suddenly very thankful that the guards continued to surround her. It seemed they were caging in her scent. He would defiantly recognize it otherwise, she was after all covered in his brothers scent.

"Sorry my Lords," came a guard from behind her as he stepped around her.

No! She felt like yelling. Get back over here, you move and he will catch a whiff of my scent for sure!

"We did not realize you had finished with the meeting. We had just captured an intruder from the outer wall and were about to place her in the dungeons on Jaken's orders. We will go through the other way my Lords," he spoke smoothly.

Get back here! Was what she was yelling in her head as she thought about Sesshomaru and his stupid hyper sensitive nose. Please let him have a cold today, please let him have a cold today, Kagome chanted repeatedly.

"Wait," came the same silky reply she knew so well.

The cold, the flu…anything! Kagome looked towards Shippo, knowing they were in for it. Once he found out there would be no way for escape. He would either kill her or torture her himself. Sesshomaru wasn't exactly known for his mercy.

"Sesshomaru! Give me my miko back!" screamed another not so smooth and silky voice that she knew all too well. Yet somehow…it was another voice she didn't want to hear. The man was going to get himself killed if he kept this up.

Kagome looked up just in time to see Inuyasha, sword and all, come barreling through the ceiling. Once again while running on instinct, she covered Shippo with her own body as the debris and rubble from the castle's ceiling fell from his entrance.

Even through all the mayhem, Kagome was grateful beyond belief that he was there. Once again, he had probably saved her life…but at the same time complicated things beyond belief.

Once the smoke had cleared she looked up from her floor position to see a very dirty, very mad Inuyasha staring at his brother…correction, half brother. They both looked furious, and that was saying something considering Sesshomaru's normally stone like face.

Great, with Sesshomaru being this mad there was no way Inuyasha could beat him. She was going to be patching him up for a good couple of days…again. She was going to have to do something about it. A dead Inuyasha was never a good Inuyasha.

If this was going to work, Kagome was going to have to make Inuyasha really want to fight…to prove himself. He was going to have to have as much determination to win as Sesshomaru's determination for blood. She hated it when she had to do this but…a quick glance at the two silver haired Inu demon's told her that there was no other option available to her at the moment.

Touga wasn't kidding when he said that Kagome knew how to work Inuyasha.

Now…it was time for her best weapon.

"Well that was unnecessary," came her sarcastic remark.

Not believing his furry little ears, Inuyasha suddenly turned on her, momentarily forgetting about the larger threat at hand. "What do you mean unnecessary wench? You want him to fry you alive?"

Insults… they always did get his attention. It was hard to believe they worked well enough to be considered a secret weapon.

She immediately stood up and dusted herself off, placing Shippo to her right. At least riling him up was always easy. Now getting him riled up to a healthy level where he could still put all his effort into the fight, now that was harder, "I would have found a way out of it. He didn't even know it was me. And did you have to crash in from the ceiling, from what I could tell it was very beautiful. You had to take down the wall attached to it too?"

Kilala, along with her two passengers, came swooping through the hole and landed next to Inuyasha. Unlike him and the woman he was fighting with, they were in their battle posses.

"Shut up and let me protect you wench. I'm getting sick of having to do it all the time," he countered.

Kagome could have sworn she felt her forehead tick at that comment. Okay, so maybe she was a little bit out of line when she said that, he did rescue her and all, but did he have to make such a mess? She was just trying to make sure he came out of this inevitable fight alive, and come on, over the years she had learned enough to last at least a couple of hours on her own. And yes, she was irritable, and tired, and cranky…all thanks to a silver haired projectile that she was to mad at to name right now…and maybe she was taking it out on Inuyasha because he was the easiest target and happened to look like said ghost.

But he did not just call her wench…twice.

"It's not my fault you don't know how to protect your pack…I bet Sesshomaru doesn't let anything happen to Rin," she growled.

Oh yes, Kagome knew exactly how to push Inuyasha's buttons, and comparing him to Sesshomaru would always get the best reaction out of him. It made him absolutely livid, and livid was what he was going to have to be in order to come out of this fight in one piece.

Their conversation was suddenly interrupted as a very mad, very red eyed figure launched itself at Inuyasha. On a purely reactionary level, the silver haired half demon lifted his blade as the blinding ball of white hurled itself forward.

Kagome once again found herself on the floor as she tried to stay out of the fight. Well that worked well, she thought while looking at the feuding brothers. Now that Inuyasha was all wound up and determined to prove himself maybe it will give everyone enough time to get out.

She looked once again to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha, who were currently trying to land as many punches on each other as possible. It seemed Inuyasha had ditched his sword, the matter had become personal. Then again, he wasn't exactly in a situation to use the sword freely anyways, not while his friends were inside. But he _was_ fighting with more speed and determination than usual, that was for sure.

Once again Kagome found herself smiling at her work. Inuyasha was so easy. Perhaps with him so determined to prove himself he wouldn't end up with a gapping whole through his chest like before. She cringed while recalling that moment.

"My Lady, may I have a word with you?" came a voice to her left.

Kagome immediately swung around, pushing Shippo behind her in a protective manner. Once she gained her bearings she had to stop her jaw from dropping. Wasn't that…

"Miss, I am Shiho, Ruler of the Southern Lands and it seems…we are in need of your…services," came his reply.

Kagome took in this Lord Shiho's appearance as she gauged him on her internal safety scale. Over the years it had become rather accurate. He seemed nice enough, a little tired and worn out, if the bags under his demonic eyes said anything. He also slouched a little like his back hurt, and his eye's looked slightly dull, like they were losing a fight. His clothes spoke differently though. They were royal, just like Sesshomaru's. You could tell from the quality of the fabric to the design and coloring of the silk.

"If it is about this uprising, I don't think there is anything I can do. I know very few demon's in the south," came her reply.

The demon before her smiled, "That is sweet but unnecessary. If you must know, we believe Naraku to be at the heart of this turmoil. It was the three Lord's wishes, minus Lord Sesshomaru of course, that we, your forces and ours, join forces. Perhaps our information could benefit one another. With our resources and your group's firsthand knowledge of the matter, perhaps we could win this yet."

Kagome slowly took in the words of the man before her, watching as the other two Lords, similarly dressed to Lord Shiho, stood next to her.

"You want me to convince Inuyasha and the other's of this plan, don't you?" came her understanding reply.

The Lord behind Lord Shiho laughed, "Inuyasha may be the protector of the group but it is obvious who is alpha and pack mother. Undoubtedly you can sway your pack."

Kagome scanned their demonic faces quickly, and then back towards the fighting brothers. She watched helplessly as Inuyasha was thrown through a wall, Sesshomaru quickly behind him.

"Sorry, but that would never work. As much as I think it would benefit everyone…I can't do that to Inuyasha. And don't try to change my mind, I have very good reasoning here. One, Inuyasha is not about to do that. He would rather be sa-" she cut herself off before she accidentally plummeted Inuyasha to the ground during his fight, "down on all fours than work with Sesshomaru. Second, Inuyasha does not take orders, which Sesshomaru would undoubtedly give. Third point, Sesshomaru would slaughter him within the week. Furthermore, Sesshomaru would never work with us, he would rather die than associate himself with Inuyasha," she turned back to the three Lord's. "It would be a faulty alliance, one which Naraku would most defiantly use to his advantage."

The same Lord as before stepped forward, "Let us handle Lord Sesshomaru, he will have no choice in the matter."

Kagome rolled her eyes at their foolishness, "An irate and cornered Sesshomaru. Yes, that will be pleasant. I think we'll pass, it was a nice offer though."

"We can control him," said the last of the Lords, "He may be young and powerful but we have the advantage of experience on our side."

"You think you can control that?" she pointed to the figure that was making another lung at her best friend. "I don't think even _he_ can control that."

Kagome turned around as she motioned for her friends to join her so they could leave, and Inuyasha could get the hell out of there. The only reason she fought with him was so he could last in the fight they both knew was going to happen. There was no way she was dragging it out longer than necessary. But before she could make it to her friends, and most importantly Shippo, who was already on Kilala's back, something stopped her.

A claw snaked its way around her shoulder. She turned around to see Inuyasha leaning on her side. He was panting, slightly bloody, and barely able to hold his own weight. Even in her shocked state of mind she noticed that he had no noticeably detrimental wounds, no gaping holes and he wasn't unconscious. He just seemed tired and scratched up.

Well at least her plan worked, right? Still baffled beyond belief at why he was standing there she looked up to see Sesshomaru standing in the middle of the wrecked dining room, surrounded by the three Lords.

To say she was thankful was an understatement, even if they were trying to show her what power they held. Kagome looked towards Inuyasha as he continued to lean on her, "Give up?"

"Keh, those old men got in the way," he panted, "apparently Sesshomaru is too much of a sissy to hit one of them."

Kagome nodded her head as she wrapped Inuyasha's arm around her shoulders, "Well it is best not to hit one of your allies."

"Whatever…I'm better at protecting you guys anyways, no one could do what I do. Did you see that move I pulled on him after he threw me through the wall? I could have killed him you know," came his still breathy response.

Kagome had to stifle a laugh as she listened. It was always weird when Inuyasha's insecurities broke through. Honestly, it's not like he showed them often. Well, at least her plan worked, no gaping holes. Kagome laughed just a little at that thought. Getting Inuyasha riled up right before a fight always turned out for the best, she had learned that quickly after she met him. Just one of the reason's she always fought with him…that and it was fun.

"Of course Inuyasha, anyone else would fail miserably," she said back.

"You are free to go, please tell us if you change your mind Lady Kagome," came Lord Shiho's calm voice.

Inuyasha, realizing that his brother was still in the room and that he was leaning on a girl for support in front of said brother, quickly regained his composure and none so gracefully walked out of the hole in the wall. The one caused from the first time he had been thrown.

Kagome turned around and waved, deciding that she liked this Lord Shiho.

Sango and Miroku quickly followed Kilala as the giant cat walked through the same hole, Shippo on her back.

Kagome sighed as she thought about their offer, it really was too bad they were talking about Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, anyone else and she probably could have made it work. Perhaps one day those two would get along…speaking of which, where was Touga?

Kagome suddenly felt a blinding pain hit her noise as she walked into what felt like a brick wall. "Oww," she yelped as she rubbed her nose. Funny, she could have sworn there was nothing but air there.

She looked up to see, yes, nothing but air. Well that was strange. Inuyasha suddenly came through the clearing, "Woman, are you coming or am I dragging you?"

She rolled her eyes, "Relax would you? I just need to-" but once again the pain of running into something struck her as she took another step forward. Only this time she was not only halted in her steps but being thrown backwards after said blinding pain.

Once Kagome opened her eyes she stared at the opening, wondering how she managed to fall a good three to four feet away from it. "What the hell?"

And then she saw it. The very faint, very pink glow of purifying energy that surrounded the opening. Inuyasha, oblivious to the pink barrier, walked right through it.

"Something wrong? Forget how to walk?" he chastised, but quickly grabbed her hand in order to pull her through.

Once she was on her feet he yanked the baffled woman to the entrance way. He walked through the pink wall without a thought or flinch but as soon as she tried Kagome was once again thrown a good foot backwards. This was beyond odd, how was it Inuyasha, the half demon, could walk through the purifying barrier and not feel it, yet she couldn't pass? And who would put something like that up in a demon castle? And why wasn't anyone else saying anything about it?

And then she realized how familiar this conversation sounded. In fact, she had had this same talk with herself not a week ago.

No…please god no.

Kagome quickly glanced around for the trickster spirit known to haunt her, and then she found him…waving…and on the other side of the barrier.

Apparently, she wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

**Firevixen73-** I hope everyone likes it. I have to say, I think this is turning out to be one of my favorite stories! And about the whole fighting to rile him up part, I noticed it during the series. Kagome and him are always fight about something menial so I figured I'd put a reason to it. Please review, it will make my day!


	3. This Was Not My Plan

**Recap:**

_And then she saw it. The very faint, very pink glow of purifying energy that surrounded the opening. Inuyasha, oblivious to the pink barrier, walked right through it._

"_Something wrong? Forget how to walk?" he chastised, but quickly grabbed her hand in order to pull her through._

_Once she was on her feet he yanked the baffled woman to the entrance way. He walked through the pink wall without a thought or flinch but as soon as she tried Kagome was once again thrown a good foot backwards. This was beyond odd, how was it Inuyasha, the half demon, could walk through the purifying barrier and not feel it, yet she couldn't pass? And who would put something like that up in a demon castle? And why wasn't anyone else saying anything about it? _

_And then she realized how familiar this conversation sounded. In fact, she had had this same talk with herself not a week ago._

_No…please god no._

_Kagome quickly glanced around for the trickster spirit known to haunt her, and then she found him…waving…and on the other side of the barrier. _

_Apparently, she wasn't going anywhere._

* * *

This was so not happening. That stupid demon was not trapping her here, in Sesshomaru's castle filled with demon's who would love to rid the world of one more priestess, was he?

Kagome quickly reviewed the situation. Hole in the wall, pink barrier, him waving wickedly on the other side…oh god he _was_ doing this to her wasn't he? Kagome tried her hardest not to very ungracefully plot on the floor and cry her eyes out, possibly throwing the biggest temper tantrum this era has ever seen.

It just wasn't fair; she shouldn't be facing dilemmas like this. She was in ancient Japan fighting evil for any type of god out there's sake; shouldn't that be doing something good for her karma? Hello, good karma, over here! She was a good person after all; shouldn't good things be happening to her? Shouldn't all these horrible things be happening to Naraku? Why didn't _he_ have a ghost with an illogical demand and an ungodly sense of humor stalking _him_? Wait, what if he did? What if that was why he was so crazy? That meant…

She was turning into the next Naraku!

Quick, someone help her now; just kill her before anything happens!

"Your lack of sleep getting to you wench, move those puny human legs and let's get out of here," bellowed Inuyasha.

"Lack of sleep," she repeated absent mindedly. Right, lack of sleep…it was making her crazy wasn't it. Please, to anything holy out there, please say it was the lack of sleep.

She looked back up at the source for her lack of sleep…the stupid dog with the stupid barrier. Damn, that was _her_ stupid barrier wasn't it?

With a sigh and a newfound hatred for all things canine, Kagome tried to look at Inuyasha with a straight face…you know, without breaking down into helpless sobs.

"I will be staying here Inuyasha," oh god, she had just said it out loud. It was inevitable now; the world was coming to an end. In a few minutes time this whole castle would crumble. She would still be in it of course, due to her own barrier which she had no control over, and it would be here that she would die.

Life was so unfair.

"…That's not even funny Kag's, come on, let's go," came the same gruff voice she was so used to, only this time it held a little more edge to it. The owner of said voice quickly grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her to the opening but as soon as her body made contact with the pink barrier she felt a blinding pain shoot through her arm.

Kagome immediately jumped back as she rubbed her wrist. Apparently Touga was getting annoyed at how long this was taking; he had upped the power level on the stupid thing.

"Inuyasha, please try to understand, the other Lord's have made us an offer that I don't feel right ignoring," she pleaded with her friends, seeing as Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kilala had made their way back into the castle to see what was the delay.

"What offer could they possibly give us? They are just a bunch of old guys who are fucking allies with Sesshomaru…they want our destruction as much as that bastard does!" yelled Inuyasha once he realized that his best friend wasn't kidding around.

"They offered us a truce; they need us as much as we need them. They need our first hand knowledge and we need their resources. I know you don't want to work with your brother but-" she found herself cut off before she could finish.

"That _creature_ is _not_ my brother!" yelled Inuyasha, "We are not working with him, and we don't _need_ him!"

"Inuyasha, maybe not," she settled with not arguing the brother point, knowing it was futile, "perhaps we don't need him as you put it, but it would certainly take a few years off of our search and you know it. Everyone here has tried separate attacks and they have all failed. I think we should at least try this plan out," mentally, she added, only until I find a way out of this castle of course.

"I have a better idea; I leave you here until you come back to your senses! When you're ready to actually realize what you are suggesting I'll be more than happy to come and pick you back up!" he yelled, knowing there was no way Kagome would separate herself from the group willingly. She'd come when she realized no one would be sticking around with her.

"Inuyasha, I'm not leaving this castle," Kagome sent a glare towards Touga who was hovering over a fallen boulder, still smiling like an idiot.

He stomped up to her in a rage, "You are coming whether I have to carry you out on my back," he said angrily.

When she heard his tone Kagome knew she was treading on thin ice. He wasn't yelling anymore, that was never a good sign.

"I'll carry you out and tie you to a fucking tree if you ever try to return," he growled.

"He is right Kagome," cut in Miroku, finally seeing an opening to argue with his friend, "Sesshomaru isn't known for his hospitality. I doubt he would be willing to work with any of us."

Kagome groaned in her head. God, she knew all this, she had already argued all this points! Yes, she _knew_ Sesshomaru was a bastard, and she _knew_ this was never going to work and she _knew_ this was a black vortex of doom just waiting to send her into oblivion, but it wasn't like she had a choice here! If only she could tell her friends that a silver haired dead guy of a demon was making her do this…God, that sounded bad in her own head, she could only imagine what her friends would think. Knowing Inuyasha and Miroku they would probably tie her up in a cabin somewhere waiting for the demon inhabiting her body to leave.

Kagome sighed quietly, how in the world was she supposed to convince her friends into something _she_ didn't even believe in? "The other Lord's have assured me that Sesshomaru will be on a tight leash when it comes to our group. They will have him under control."

God, she didn't even believe what she was saying, she could only hope her friends did.

"Kagome, I don't like this. I mean, this is _Sesshomaru_, how many times has he tried to kill you?" was all Sango could say.

"Thirteen," said Touga quietly as he pretended to mock count on his fingers, "directly anyways. There have been a lot more attempts where he wasn't just focusing on you specifically."

She glared at him angrily, "You are so not helping."

"I'm not trying to help, I'm trying to understand where this is coming from," said a frustrated Sango.

Kagome turned to the infuriated woman…oopps, forgot about her.

"We don't fight the same way, we have different tactics and we can stand him about as much as he can stand us. Give me one good example about how this will work," stated the warrior dressed in pink.

Kagome glanced towards Touga conveying that she completely agreed with her friend, but he silenced her immediately with one look. That one look that only someone of extreme authority can give. The one that made all protest die in her throat.

"I'll make it work," Kagome stated fiercely as she reluctantly turned to her friends.

Sango and Miroku looked at each other in disbelief, not understanding how their friend could be this stubborn. Was there something they weren't catching?

Sango spoke first, "I'll stay then, but only to make sure you're okay Kagome, I don't like this at all though."

"What?" screeched Inuyasha.

"I will stay as well, if only to look after Kagome," he turned to his obviously hurt dog eared friend, "Kagome has never lead us astray before Inuyasha, and she obviously feels passionate about this. Give it a try Inuyasha."

"No, none of you are staying within 50 leagues of that bastard!" Kagome could hear the confusion and pain quivering in his voice and she could feel her heart ache at the pain she was causing him.

"Inuyasha, Naraku is afraid of how many people? Two, that's it. You and your brother. That's all, once he hears of this…truce, you know as well as I he will have to take immediate action. Possibly even come out himself to fight us, before we grow to powerful as a team," she saw that he was still extremely skeptical and decided to try a new tactic, however low it may be. "What about Kikyo? Do you want to spend the rest of our days chasing him across all of Japan or possibly kill Naraku and avenge her death? He will have to make a stand against us and this could be our chance. Miroku's wind tunnel grows every day, we have no idea what the state of Sango's brother is and we have no idea if the well will suddenly not work one day. I like this plan as much as you do but give it some thought. I agree, your brother is an emotionally constipated prick but he knows more about battle and war than any of us do. If this agreement doesn't work than fine, but at least we tried it and gave Naraku a run for his life at the same time."

She watched helplessly as Inuyasha considered her words. Kagome knew there was nothing else she could possibly say, it was all up to Inuyasha now. Either the words struck him or they didn't, but she had tried her hardest. With that in mind she turned her attention to her other…obstacle.

Sesshomaru…red eyed, fangs barring Sesshomaru. At the moment she was very thankful for the three Lord's currently pinning him down to the ground. It was odd though, to see the great Sesshomaru being restrained by three older men. One, who was sitting on the western demon lord's legs in an attempt to hold down the Western Lord's feet, another pinning down Sesshomaru's right arm and pressing down harshly on his lower back. Lastly there was Lord Shiho who was holding down Sesshomaru's left arm and drilling his elbow into the back of Sesshomaru's neck in order to keep it in place. Kagome paused, when did he get his arm back?

Kagome sent a quick warning glare over to Lord Shiho. If they couldn't keep Sesshomaru under control, stupid floating demon or not, she was taking all her friends and leaving this dreary looking castle.

"Let me…let me think about it," came Inuyasha's quiet response.

Kagome immediately turned her attention back over to her friend, relief flooding off of her in waves. "That's all I'm asking Inuyasha. If you still don't agree…we'll leave."

And she meant it, if there was still doubt in his mind it didn't matter what Touga did, they were all getting out of this castle. Kagome gracefully walked up to him and placed her arms around his body. With a tight squeeze she hugged him, silently telling him to take his time, that she trusted him indefinably. With a nod, and silent regret, Inuyasha turned around and headed out the gaping hole in the wall, determined to think things through.

From the stern look on his face, as well the nature of the decision, she estimated it would be a couple of days before he came back, before she would see him again. Kagome knew it would be okay though, Inuyasha was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and deep down she knew she would be alright as well. Touga wasn't going to let anything happen to his last link to his sons.

As soon as the red dot could no longer be seen she turned towards the remainder of her companions, "Would one of you mind heading back to camp and gathering all of our things? Maybe you should take a guard with you or something, so you don't get attacked on the way back."

Kagome turned to face the cluster of guards who had dragged her into this predicament in the first place. And why were they just standing there? With a sigh she walked over to the nearest one and grabbed his sleeve, effectively pulling him along with her as she walked over to Miroku. "There you go, some male bonding time. If one of you dies…" she looked at the guards face, memorizing it, "I know who to come after."

The guard gulped and Miroku gave out a small laugh, absent of its usual mirth though. Together the two headed out and back towards the make shift camp. By make shift camp she meant the area that they had dropped all their belongings on in the fight.

Kagome turned towards Kilala, "Follow them; I don't trust anything having to do with Sesshomaru."

Without another thought the overgrown feline took towards the skies in order to follow her friend.

Kagome rubbed the spots on the outside of her eyes. She was just so tired, and this whole being trapped in Sesshomaru's castle thing was totally not helping her newly found headache. Now she had Sesshomaru to deal with…there was a topic she wished she could avoid. Did he have to be such a bastard?

Well according to his father he did.

Kagome now focused her attention on Sesshomaru and the three Lord's still pinning him to the ground, "Either he learns some self control or we walk. Everyone knows Sesshomaru doesn't play well with others so…good luck to you. I want to make this perfectly clear right away, do not mess with us. I will not tolerate him if he decides to act like a petulant child who has to share a toy. I will not stand for his comments or his holier than though attitude. If for any reason I think myself, or any other member of my pack are in danger…I'll bring this entire castle to its knees. Inuyasha is especially off limits, or I get involved. And if I get involved…you may survive, but you'll wish you hadn't."

Kagome was staring at the four Lords before her, knowing that she had thousands of years of prejudice to combat. No, it wasn't just Sesshomaru she was worried about. Yes, for her physical safety and the safety of her friends, Sesshomaru was the main priority. The other three Lords were just as high on that list though when it came to the mental well being of her friends. Inuyasha was a half demon, and Kagome had seen enough hatred towards his kind. Hatred like that stemmed from the top down, so it was without question that at least one of the Lords would hold some hatred towards her friend.

There was Sango as well, the girl had been through enough emotional turmoil with her brother, she didn't need the mounds of hatred that were sure to come. She was a demon slayer after all, she was born and bred to kill their kind.

Miroku wasn't much better. He may be cursed, and he may have the type of personality that everyone finds themselves loving but he was a monk, a rather powerful priest, none the less.

And poor Kilala and Shippo. Demon's traveling with a pack of demon slaying humans. She couldn't imagine the brutality they could be forced to endure.

No, no matter how civilized they may seem, she was still dealing with hardened war time demons. She needed to make her stance on this invisible field or they would walk all over her. Lord Shiho didn't seem to be a problem, he was desperate for their aid. His lands were taken over by Naraku after all, but the others...they were the ones to be cautious around.

Kagome steadily held her gaze with the Lords currently ruling over Japan. She knew this was not the time to back down, if they sensed any weakness in her at all then it was over before it had begun, she would have lost. Kagome refused to lose this battle. Kagome may not be the most hardened and battle worthy warrior around, but the mind games that came along with such battles, those she was good at. Those she knew how to win.

Then she saw it...recognition. The Lord pinning down Sesshomaru's back legs suddenly had a fire light up in his eyes. As he looked at her he smiled, "It seems we have finally found ourselves a worthy ally. Not many would face me or my fellow Lords in such a manor. I respect that more than I think you know. For that, I will tell you my name and offer my friendship. I am Lord Uza, ruler of the Eastern Lands."

He slowly gave a mock bow, going as low as Sesshomaru's struggling form could allow him. Kagome, in return bowed as well. She was grateful that at least this Lord Uza was willing to look past her humanity and see her for who she was.

Lord Uza held her gaze for a little longer, he than seemed to come to a decision as he nodded his head in her direction. Lord Uza then unexpectedly stood up. Sesshomaru, taking advantage of his situation and the unanticipated freedom knocked the other two out of his way, casting them to the floor. Sesshomaru, in his usual graceful manor, rolled to the side and pushed himself up to his feet.

Lord Shiho turned towards Lord Uza, "What in all that is demonic gave you the idea to do that?"

"Lady Kagome is correct about what she said earlier. Lord Sesshomaru is not one to be forced into anything. This is something we will have to talk about as civilized demons, as Lords. We cannot exactly do that with him pinned to the floor," came his response.

"Well maybe you should have told us that before you know, you let go," came the last lord whose name Kagome had yet to hear.

"They are not staying," came Sesshomaru's brief sentence.

Kagome suppressed a growl, here she was, going out of her way to be around him and he was being a total ass about it, "Petulant child…what was I thinking? More like pompous jacka-" but she was cut off as a very familiar hand covered her mouth.

Kagome looked to her left as the hand held on tighter, "Wow, Kagome is really tired, she's even saying things she doesn't mean," came Sango's voice, "maybe we should get her in bed."

Lord Shiho nodded, "Perhaps that would be best, Lady Kagome has been rather overworked today hasn't she. I suggest the Southern Wing where I and Lord Uza are staying."

"They will sleep outside if they must, but not in _my_ castle," argued Sesshomaru, obviously mad that his statement wasn't being taken into consideration.

Kagome silently growled. We'll, growled as much as Sango's hand would let her. Please, if she could get out of this god forsaken castle she would have already be waving goodbye.

"What about that lovely room next to the gardens?" asked Lord Shiho again.

"They are not staying!" yelled Sesshomaru.

Kagome was more than surprised when she heard his temper come to life. It was odd; Sesshomaru had always been the silent but deadly type, now he seemed more ferocious than ever. Perhaps she shouldn't have let Inuyasha leave like that. This might get bloody if they couldn't get Sesshomaru under control. No…that was wrong. She doubted anyone could control Sesshomaru, so maybe compromising with him would be the best answer.

Lord Uza turned to face Kagome, "My Lady, I am thinking that you would prefer the gardens as Lord Shiho suggested. Am I wrong in that assumption?"

"Umm…" was all she could get out. She so badly wanted to comment on that, but she knew exactly what was happening. Like she said earlier, mind games were something she knew how to play. And you could not be friends with Eri and Yumi and not recognize a trap. For some reason both Lord Shiho and Lord Uza wanted her to step into whatever they were playing at. They were trying to corner her into something but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what.

When she didn't answer, even with Sango's hand being removed, they turned their attention onto someone else. Someone more battle savvy, someone more war minded, someone who didn't see a trap like this coming.

"Slayer, I am guessing you would rather be able to see the clear blue skies, would you not?" said Lord Uza.

Kagome frantically looked towards Sango when she saw the wheels turning in her friends head. No Sango, don't say anything!

"Actually, that would be nice," came Sango's silent reply.

Sango no! Kagome screamed when she saw the last Lord, the one yet to introduce himself, smile up at the others. Kagome needed to fix this, she didn't know what the trap was but she knew that her pack was very close into falling into it.

"As nice as that would be, wherever Sesshomaru sees fit will do. We've traveled the country side for over two years. Luxury would be rather…foreign to us at this moment," said Kagome swiftly, "besides, we don't want to impose more than necessary."

Kagome watched as the Lord, whose name she didn't know, frowned.

"Then you will sleep outside human, I will not tolerate your stench on my premise any longer," came Sesshomaru's predictable reply.

Lord Shiho cut in, his smile seemed larger than normal, "Then you will place Lord Uza and I outside as well. We will only sleep under what roof our new allies do. And unless you want to send two of your most powerful allies out into the rain, which should be descending within the hour, then I suggest you rethink that."

Kagome had immediately noticed that the third Lord was not mentioned in that speech, and it was then that something dawned on her. If Lord Shiho was from the South and Lord Uza was from the East and they were both staying in the Southern wing…Kagome thought back to the conversation the guards had said earlier. The Northern Lord was staying in the Northern wing, why wasn't he staying in the same wing as the other Lords? Why was he on the opposite end of the castle?

Kagome looked over at the Northern Lord. His hair was the first thing she noticed with it being such a dark shade of green. His eyes were odd as well. They were a hazy light grey with a tint of blue in them. He seemed about forty years old if she was relating him to a human, and his aura spoke in powerful volumes. It was easy to tell from his stance alone that he was difficult to deal with, as well as stubborn, but weren't all upper level demons?

"Well Sesshomaru? Will you forsake your allies? Your friends?" asked Lord Uza.

It was then that Kagome realized that Sesshomaru had yet to answer. She immediately turned her head in his direction but had to take a couple steps back when she saw the menacing glow in his eyes. Perhaps it was better for Inuyasha not to be here, there was no way Inuyasha would come out alive with Sesshomaru this riled up. In all her years Kagome had never felt him so angry. Then again, she doubted it was every day that Sesshomaru was forced into something of this magnitude, let alone forced into something in general.

"The same roof," said Sesshomaru. It wasn't phrased as a question, or a statement, it was more like a casual observation than anything else. "Jaken," the little green toad came running up from behind a half torn down banister.

"Yes my Lord?" asked the green demon.

"Show them to their quarters," he said casually while gracefully bringing up his arm in order to inspect his nails.

Suddenly Touga was right beside her, "See, I told you Sesshomaru wasn't that bad. You just watch, my boy won't be as difficult as you think."

"Their rooms my Lord?" asked Jaken in a confused manner. For the life of him the toad couldn't figure out why Lord Sesshomaru wasn't throwing these humans out. So he lost the Southern and Easter Lords as allies…okay, so maybe that was sort of a big deal.

"Yes, they will be staying the old servant's quarters," said Sesshomaru arrogantly.

"Sesshomaru, that is outrageous. Those rooms are horrible, practically the dungeons themselves," said Lord Shiho.

"Preposterous, the dungeons are underground, hence a different roof. That option is not possible, as much as I would like that as an alternative," came Sesshomaru's haughty reply.

Kagome was livid, fine, if he wanted to be an arrogant ass then she would just have to show him up, she did after all say that her pack would take whatever Sesshomaru gave them. "No, it is fine, we will take it."

Sesshomaru glared at her and she found herself glaring right back. I mean, it wasn't like she could leave this place anyways. That reminded her…didn't Touga say Sesshomaru wasn't _that_ _bad_? As much as she wanted to turn around and yell at the stupid ghost she knew she couldn't, she was after all in a staring match with said ghost's stupid and unruly son after all.

"You and your friends will work as well, I will not have free loaders," he said calmly.

"I didn't realize that the destruction of a fiend like Naraku was considered leisurely. It is a wonder you haven't killed him yet with how easy and effortless his death apparently is. But don't worry, my friends and I will work, we know how to carry more than out own weight," she answered back just as calmly.

Wow, how many jabs could you get in in only a couple sentences? Man she was on a roll wasn't she?

"The monk will have to travel; I have many villages that need an ambassador to visit them. They tend to be human dwellings and do not take kindly to my demons. He will of course have the protection of my men," said the Lord of the West.

Kagome wanted to hit him. He was flat out threatening Miroku's life. Miroku, out in the wilderness with Sesshomaru's demon guards? Demon guards whom Sesshomaru could easily order to kill her friend and no one would be the wiser. Stupid mutt being stupidly tricky, "I will of course have to talk it over with him first but as far as I know it shouldn't be a problem. I would of course, like to meet the guards he would be traveling with as well."

Ha, if it was the last thing she did she was going to stick it to him. She watched as his eyes flashed a light red before they calmed down once again.

"The slayer, she will work in the weaponry division with my other forgers," spoke Sesshomaru.

Kagome knew she couldn't look away to see Sango's expression, no matter how much she wanted to. "Again, this will all have to be discussed but we will think it over. You'll have your answer in the morning."

"I demand an answer now," came his reply.

"And you'll have one in the morning, glad that was settled," Kagome glared back.

"Damn," she heard Lord Uza say, "I don't think anyone has ever lasted this long one on one with Sesshomaru before."

"Well," spoke Sango softly, "I love the girl but she doesn't always think about what is best for her health."

"So the girl has a death wish?" asked the Northern Lord.

"No," Sango shook her head, "just the inability to take orders."

Kagome's attention was drawn back towards Sesshomaru in an instant when he began to talk again, "That mutt will work with the footmen and the new recruits. I am sure he will fail but I have no one else to watch them through the day."

"I'm sure Inuyasha will be ecstatic."

"…And you will work under someone else, since you so appreciate taking orders," Sesshomaru glanced over towards Sango with a nod while smirking. Kagome visibly gulped when she saw this, great Sesshomaru was smirking, never a good thing. "Though, it is hard to say what you should do since you are relatively worthless to your group. You have no battle training, and cannot control your miko powers. I would have you mopping floors but you would probably slow everyone else down. Not to mention your stench would get everywhere."

Kagome sent out a glare in his direction but kept her mouth shut, knowing he already knew where he wanted her.

"The kitchens should be fine. Any smells in there should wash out and over power your own," his sadistic smirk came right along with his little statement.

Kagome heard Jaken stutter behind her, "The kitchens? But the woman who runs it is a beast, she is awful!"

It seemed even Jaken didn't wish that fate on anyone…this was so not good.

"Now for the fox and the cat-" but Kagome cut him off.

"No, Shippo is too young; he will stay with me or one of the others. Kilala is not a pack horse either, she will stay with me or Sango at all times. Those two are off limits or I swear I will leak false information about Naraku to you and your…friends," countered Kagome.

"That would be rather counterproductive," answered Sesshomaru.

"So is isolating your allies…which you are currently in the middle of doing," Kagome snipped back, "You can only push people so far, Shippo and Kilala are where I draw my line."

"…Jaken, show them their quarters. The other Lords and I have much to discuss," he answered angrily.

"Yes my Lord…this way humans," he said in a high pitched voice.

Kagome, Sango and Shippo followed the green toad out of the now completely destroyed room and out into the hall. As soon as the doors were shut Kagome let out a deep breath of air, one that she felt that she had been holding in since she first found out about her inability to leave.

"Why is my life such a mess?" she whispered to herself.

"Well you do cause many of your own problems little one," came a smooth and sultry voice to her left.

Kagome's eyes snapped over into that particular direction. He did not just say this was all _her_ fault did he? And where was he when Sesshomaru and her were having their little stare down? He better not be thinking that she didn't notice how he disappeared on her like that.

"Congratulations," she whispered so Jaken and Shippo couldn't pick up on what she was saying.

"For what?" asked the smiling projection.

"Your son is your spitting image. He's a demanding, arrogant, know-it-all ass," she growled.

"Why thank you," he laughed as he took in her comment, "but I know you are only saying that to be nice."

Kagome watched as Jaken took her and her friends deeper into the castle, great. Thanks to Touga's innate ability to distract her she had no idea where they were.

"I must say, my Sesshomaru is being rather difficult though isn't he?" asked Touga.

Kagome snorted but covered it up with a wave when the others looked back at her skeptically. When she was sure no one was paying attention she let her comment flow freely, "Family trait, I assure you."

"Now that…is probably true. I am glad you got rid of Inuyasha when you did though. That would not have gone over well with him there. Though perhaps you should have sent the slayer to the campsite instead of the monk. He seems better at dealing with the mind games of the courts than she does."

Kagome followed the others around another corner before she asked her question, "What was all of that about anyways?"

"Intent. One way to determine the intent and personality of an ally is to offer them riches. It helps weed out the money grubbers and power seekers versus the ones that you actually want to work with," he answered while keeping in pace with her.

"So if one of their allies would have accepted that offer they would be deemed not trust worthy?" asked Kagome.

"No, they already know their allies. All of the Lords have grown up around those they consider friends and enemies, and because of that they know the general intent of the others. You are completely new, and therefore fair game for whatever tricks they deem necessary," spoke Touga calmly.

"So…my friends and I are prey?" asked Kagome.

"No…just you."

* * *

Kagome looked around the cold and damp room that she sat in. Honestly…she had expected worse. True, it was no five star hotel, and it didn't have any windows, and barely a bed at all but it was better than being shackled to the wall. It was actually more like a closet than anything. Just enough to lay down flat, move your arms a bit and maybe have one full role while sleeping.

The room was made of wood, which was better than the stone walls she was expecting. Though, it hardly left any room for well, anything, not that she was planning on spending much time here anyways. Then there was the bed, or cot. It was more like a mattress made of blankets than anything else but Kagome could deal with that. Really the only thing that truly irked her about the room was the lack of windows. The room was practically boarded shut, and for someone who had spent the last two years naming the different constellations as she went to sleep…well this was rather hard.

It almost made her wish that some of the others were willing to share a room with an untrained miko. That was actually why she was allowed to stay in her own room, even if it was the length of her arms. No one was willing to share with her on such a short moment's notice with her being able to purify them in their sleep and all. Not that she wouldn't mind purifying Sesshomaru though. It was like he was born with that stupid glare of his, and could he be any more arrogant? She just hoped that he could be handled the same way as she handled Inuyasha.

Inuyasha she could deal with, hell, she had spent years learning how to deal with him. He liked to fight, play fights were the best. Everyone always thought that they were being mean or arguing with each other but really, she was just getting him in his comfort zone. After so long of defending his life, unless he was charging recklessly into something he had a hard time feeling like he knew what he was talking about. So he would revert back to what he knew, verbal and physical warfare. After so many years of traveling with him she now knew that when he was fighting with her he was trying to tell her something that he couldn't say any other way.

She giggled, it always made for an interesting day, at least once she figured out not to take anything mean he says to heart. Luckily, he had learned to do the same with her. After her fit of giggles, she sighed. She just prayed to anyone who was listening that Sesshomaru's way of communicating was through bickering, because god knows it wasn't through normal verbal language. And if this didn't work, she didn't know what to do. It took her years to learn Inuyasha's style, she did not have years to learn Sesshomaru's. She was going off of possible family traits here.

Not that she was going to have any problem arguing with him, since he really was an ass.

"Momma? Can I share with you?" asked a small little voice from her doorway.

Kagome looked up to see none other than Shippo's still house breaking through the light. Kagome knew he would show up eventually.

"Sure honey, jump under the blankets with me okay?" Kagome stated more than asked, but she remembered her psychology classes well enough to know that it was always better to have the child think that they made the decision, and weren't ordered to do anything.

Shippo immediately took his cue and ran over to her makeshift bed. Without a moment's hesitation he had dove under the covers and snuggled up to her pillow. Yes, Kagome had brought her pillow from her own time, because it wasn't exactly like they made many where she was.

"Your bed is better than mine," came Shippo's voice, "then again, I was sharing it with four others."

Kagome smiled as she slipped under the grimy covers, "I placed my sleeping bag underneath all the blankets…I had a feeling you would be here so I set it up early."

Shippo smiled as he snuggled closer, "Thank you momma. Can you tell me a story?"

Suddenly a quiet meow was vibrating from the small room and both occupants looked towards the doorway. Kagome smirked as she looked at her son once again, "Make some room for Kilala Shippo; it seems we have another guest."

Instead of moving away and making room for the fire cat Shippo scrunched up closer to his mother, "There, she has room now."

Kagome rolled her eyes as the pint sized demon clawed at Shippo's hair in an attempt to get him to move but the fox stayed firm in his grip. Eventually the cat demon became fed up and made herself comfortable at the head of the bed…and in Kagome's hair. It was alright though, Kagome was more than used to it.

"So why aren't you with Sango Kilala?" asked Kagome like she would honestly get a response.

A small sleepy meow once again reverberated through the room and Kagome once again laughed. "Oh, I forgot that Sango and Miroku are sharing a room until Inuyasha shows up again. I probably wouldn't want to be there either, with how many things Miroku is probably getting thrown at him. Though I heard the room there is bigger, and three other servants are sharing with them."

"Momma, tell me a story now," whined the already half asleep kitsune.

Kagome flicked his nose as a reprimand, "Don't be rude, I was having a conversation with Kilala."

"Make it about a demon!" yelled Shippo happily now that he finally had his mother's attention once again.

Kagome sighed as she looked out the side of the wall where she thought a window would look lovely. "Alright, there once was a demon who didn't believe in stars…" she began, fully intending to have the demon be remarkably like Sesshomaru and mysteriously wind up either dead or blind or at least maimed in one way or another.

* * *

Touga watched silently in the corner of the room as Kagome told the story to the half awake kitsune. He didn't know how or why but he had the strangest feeling that this demon was going to end up dead, mauled or tortured. What was worse was that he wasn't sure who the story was about, him or Sesshomaru.

* * *

Kagome silently tucked Shippo in further as the small demon slept. She had only made it through half of the story before she realized that the little boy was asleep. Damn, she didn't even get to the maiming part. Even so, Kagome had half a mind to finish the story just to make herself feel better.

Very quietly Kagome slipped out from the covers and patted Kilala's head, reassuring the half asleep demon that she would be right back.

With a grace that Kagome was in no way used to, she slipped over to the door and slid open the shoji screen.

"Where are you going little one?" asked Touga as he materialized right beside her.

"Out," was her only reply.

The spirit sighed, "You are a priestess running around at night in a castle full of demons…you aren't as smart as I took you for are you?"

Kagome scoffed, "Like you are really going to let anything happen to me, I'm your last link remember?"

"And what if I hadn't noticed you slipping out?" asked Touga joyfully.

"What would you be doing? Sleeping?" laughed Kagome.

"…Maybe," was his only reply but Kagome noticed that he was unwilling to look at her in the eyes when he said it.

"Right," she said sarcastically as she reached another sliding door. Once there she opened it slightly as she peaked inside, "You guys awake?"

Sango's hand immediately came out from under the cover of the dark room and reached for her friend, "Can we go to your room to talk?"

Miroku was right behind her.

"My room won't fit all of us," she said honestly.

"The hall then," reasoned Miroku as they shut the door. He quickly put a seal on the door to make sure that no servant was secretly spying on them. He immediately turned to Kagome, "Mind explaining what this was all about?"

Kagome sighed, "No, not really."

Sango stomped her foot, "Kagome, don't avoid the question."

"Well then don't ask a closed ended question to something that you want an open ended answer for!" she all but yelled in frustration.

"Kagome, tell us," said Miroku quietly, obviously worried about someone coming around that hallway and catching them.

Kagome ran her finders through her hair, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Touga perked up when she said that, "Don't do it little one."

Kagome glared at the projection as she ignored her friend's skeptical stares.

"Perhaps you should lie down," argued Sango, "it seems you are not better yet from last week."

Kagome turned to her friends, "Last week, that is a great place to sta-" but her voice suddenly cracked and no more words came out.

What? Kagome quickly tried to speak again but nothing but air made its self known. Did she just, lose her voice? But that was impossible, she wasn't feeling sick, just incredibly tired. Kagome once again tried to voice her thoughts, looking at Sango and Miroku desperately. When she saw their baffled looks Kagome grabbed her throat in wonder.

"I told you not to do that," came a smug voice.

No, not again! Please not again! Was there nothing that he couldn't do to her?

"Yes, I took away your voice; this is going to be our little secret for now Kagome. No one else is to know," he said calmly while looking at his perfectly sharp nails.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to hit something, she wanted to cry. This was so _not_ fair.

"Kagome, are you alright? You just suddenly stopped talking," asked Sango.

No she was not alright, she had freaking lost her voice because, get this, some over controlling ghost took it from her!

"Wasn't there something you were going to tell us Kagome?" asked the voice of reason, Miroku, once again.

Kagome discretely glanced back at Touga who was shaking his head no, and then with a heavy heart she looked at her friends who were watching her intently.

In defeat, Kagome shook her head no.

"Then why are we here?" asked Sango once again, man she was persistent.

"Because-" Kagome stopped herself after she realized that yes, that was defiantly her that had spoken. It seems as if Touga was feeling generous. "Um…because we all know it is the best option. Naraku isn't becoming less of a threat, someone needed to do something. I saw an opportunity and I took it."

"A heads up would have been nice," said Sango.

Kagome glared at no one in particular since she couldn't exactly start yelling at a certain someone at the moment, "Yes, it _would_ have been."

"So there is nothing else," asked Miroku, sensing this wasn't the end of the story.

Yes! She wanted to yell, but somehow Kagome had a feeling Touga knew what she was thinking. It might have partly been because his claws were glowing threateningly. You know, just a little tip off. "Nothing else…are you guys up to those ridiculous requests of his?"

Sango sighed, "We don't exactly have a choice, and he knows that."

Kagome nodded her head, "Alright…but how about you let me handle the Lords, maybe Miroku too. But you and Inuyasha should try to stay as far away from them as possible. I have…" she paused, "…diplomatic training from my time, and Miroku has as well. He's good at undermining people to get what he wants."

They watched Miroku as he contemplated what she had just said. Then he looked at her and smiled, like he was proud of his conning ways.

As for herself, she guessed her friends could be considered diplomatic training. She had to learn all the rules after all, what to say, what not to say, how to say things, how to tell when someone is planning on socially ripping you to shreds. Yeah, that seemed like the same thing…this time just had swords.

"Are you sure that you can handle them Kagome?" asked Sango.

Well apparently I have to since I am their new chew toy, she growled to herself, "I'll manage."

Great, demon versions of her modern day friends, just what she needed to make her stay feel more homely.

Miroku nodded in agreement, "Agreed, you are battle worthy Sango, but Kagome and I will handle the mind games."

"Then we should all get to bed, I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to hard," frowned Sango.

"Alright then, but I think we should all meet up tomorrow night somewhere to discuss everything. We are still going to have to convince Inuyasha to agree to his own terms," defended Miroku.

Kagome scoffed, "Convince Inuyasha that he is allowed to beat up his brother's soldiers? Shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

**Firevixen73**- Thank you so much to all my readers! But just so you know, I want to establish all of the character's roles before anything super intense happens. I just don't see Sesshomaru interacting with Kagome unless he has to, which means she has to have an established role in his life before anything happens. Don't say I didn't warn you. I hope you liked this chapter! And please review!


	4. Not Quite Like Home

**Recap:**

"_Are you sure that you can handle them Kagome?" asked Sango._

_Well apparently I have to since I am their new chew toy, she growled to herself, "I'll manage."_

_Great, demon versions of her modern day friends, just what she needed to make her stay feel more homely._

_Miroku nodded in agreement, "Agreed, you are battle worthy Sango, but Kagome and I will handle the mind games."_

"_Then we should all get to bed, I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to hard," frowned Sango._

"_Alright then, but I think we should all meet up tomorrow night somewhere to discuss everything. We are still going to have to convince Inuyasha to agree to his own terms," defended Miroku._

_Kagome scoffed, "Convince Inuyasha that he is allowed to beat up his brother's soldiers? Shouldn't be a problem."_

* * *

"They are not staying here longer than necessary," spoke Sesshomaru as he surveyed his fellow Lords.

"You are being unreasonable Sesshomaru. We need their knowledge and you know it. It may not be the method of your preference but it is the only one we have available to us. The girl is right, your pride is causing you to isolate your allies and all that you have available to you," said Lord Shiho as he took in a sip of his tea.

"You did not just say that wench was right about something, did you?" said Sesshomaru in a not so calm manner.

"You are legendary for your restraint Lord Sesshomaru, do not ruin your reputation now. Especially not over a woman," chuckled Lord Uza.

"Hold your tongue, you are all guests in my castle…and I am not losing my temper over a human female," growled Sesshomaru.

"And what a female she is. Not many can stand up to you like she did. You have to give the woman her credit. Not a flinch was in her stance, couldn't detect any hint of fear," spoke Lord Uza again.

The fourth and final member of the room scoffed at this, "More like a death wish. It is a wonder you did not strike her down at that very moment."

Lord Shiho smiled, "Come now Lord Malik, you must appreciate her courage, even if you do not appreciate her as a woman."

"All I want is this Naraku dead, if this is the only way that it can be done…then so be it. I will put up with their faults for the time being," Lord Malik took another sip of the sake he had been drinking.

"Faults? Throughout that entire encounter the only fault I could find with that woman was her desire to stay here. I too would have turned down the offer we gave her, with her knowing Lord Sesshomaru as she does. Everything else was flawless!" Lord Uza turned towards Lord Malik furiously.

"I think I know tactics better than you do, that woman is not worthy of our time!" Lord Malik threw down his sake and stood up in order to be on proper ground with Lord Uza.

"And what exactly did she do wrong? Her execution of the halfling was brilliant, as well as her negotiating skills with Lord Sesshomaru," Lord Uza sent a direct glare towards his fellow Lord as he said this, obviously challenging him to continue. "Please, do name something; the woman was a tactical force even I wouldn't have wanted to deal with."

"That is because you are a mediocre leader at best," spat Lord Malik in response.

"Lords!" spoke Lord Shiho angrily as he stepped in-between the two, "I think we are a little too old for petty deputes like this. We are not currently discussing our own issues, our target…I mean attention is Lord Sesshomaru. Please, let us concentrate on the issue at hand."

Lord Uza and Lord Malik continued to glare at each other but managed to somewhat calmly sit down, across the room from each other of course.

Lord Shiho shook his head in remorse. "I am sorry little miko, it seems you have become the new issue of fighting between these two. Your stay will not be a pleasant one."

* * *

"I hate your son," said Kagome in a not so whispering voice as she chopped up the nearest stack of vegetables. "He did this on purpose!"

"She's not that bad," said the floating Touga calmly.

The knife was suddenly imbedded in the cutting bored, "Not that bad? The beast asked me if I was a cow demon from the way that I smelled!"

"Friendly banter?"

Kagome grumbled as she nursed a new found headache, "I need an exorcist."

Touga rubbed her upper back in a fatherly manor, "There, there little one. You aren't completely crazy. I'm still here for you."

Oh, she wanted to swat him away so badly but she unfortunately already knew it was useless. Of course, as fate would have it, he would be the one telling her everything would be alright. When she finally made it back to her own time, she was seeing a therapist. They had to keep confidentiality didn't they? Of course, they would probably put her on medication for schizophrenia. Though, right now she would take anything to get rid of him.

"Cow, you are not to touch anything in my kitchen aside from what is already in your corner," came a gruff voice to Kagome's left.

Said priestess felt her right eyebrow twitch.

"And your filthy human hands are not to touch any of _my_ meat," came the same voice.

Kagome could now feel herself getting angry.

"Don't do it little one. I know you are tired and stressed but I do not think making enemies with the staff will help your cause," came Touga's all knowing voice.

Well that settled it, Kagome thought. If Touga didn't want her to do it then she was most certainly going to.

Kagome spun around on her heal and faced the tall 5"11 demon before her. The overgrown boar was a horse demon that had red hair tied up in a bun. The woman would have probably been rather beautiful if not for her dirty clothes and her rotten attitude. "Listen here you overgrown bully! I don't like people picking on me, I don't like people being mean, and I above all don't like it when others think they have the right to treat others like trash! If you want to say something to me I suggest you either say it nicely or expect a fist in your gut!"

The horse demon looked at her strangely, like something was wrong with her vision. "Did you just…talk back to me?"

Everyone else in the kitchen had already stopped what they were doing in order to watch the exchange, and inevitable fight, as closely as they could.

"Yes," came Kagome's swift answer.

The horse demon's eye's narrowed as she looked at the younger woman, "You little cow, no one talks back to me."

"I'm not no one; get it strait, I'm Kagome. Ka-go-me. Don't for an instant think I'm going to let you push me around either. You stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours, but don't think I'm your new chew toy. I bite back," with that said Kagome took her cue and turned around so she could finish chopping up her carrots.

She could feel the beast woman's angry huffs as Kagome continued to chop but desperately tried not to say anything about it. What was it with demons and not being able to stand being ignored? Were they all just _that_ arrogant?

Kagome finished chopping her food while silently taking count in her head. There were about seven other demons in the kitchen right now, luckily none of them seemed to be warriors, not that she was really a warrior either though. So technically that put the odds at seven to one if they decided to attack, which was very likely because of her outburst. Oh wait, she couldn't forget that stupid horse of a demon. She would probably count for more than one demon. So that would be…ten to one.

Those were not good odds against someone like her, who would probably be better off if fully medicated and locked away.

Maybe she could throw boiling water at them, she was sort of close to the stove-ish type of contraption.

"Momma!" screamed a very familiar and welcomed voice.

Kagome turned just in time to catch her little ball of fluff called Shippo as he leaped towards her. "I see you are finally awake," she said while nuzzling his nose with her own.

"What time is it?" asked Shippo as he tried to guess how long he had slept in.

"Almost lunch, I was about to finish up here and bring Miroku and Sango something to eat. I know they are both starting their work today. Miroku is supposed to leave for another village around one or so, then there is Sango. I wonder how she is doing with the other weaponry masters," finished Kagome.

"What am I supposed to do Momma? I want to help too!" yelled Shippo excitedly.

Kagome placed her son down on the ground and looked at him firmly. "You and Kilala were assigned to help me in the kitchens. I'm going to need you two to be really good and not get in anyone's way though."

Shippo looked at her with wide eyes, "I get to help you?"

"Only if you can do a really good job though," she finished.

"I promise Momma, I'll work really hard and I won't spill anything!" he said proudly.

Kagome tapped his nose with her finger, "Alright, can you get me some butter?"

* * *

Kagome quietly walked down the halls, Shippo in front of her and the boxes of food in her hands. She of course had no idea where she was going but Shippo apparently did. This was one of those moments where she was really jealous of demon senses.

"It's down here Momma," he said enthusiastically while opening up at metal door that lead to a downstairs stairway. She followed her son down the wooden stairway. When she reached the bottom Kagome felt the hardness of stone through the soles of her shoes. Kagome leaned down and placed her hand on the ground, the stone wasn't cold like she had been expecting, but warm.

"This way," said Shippo while skipping along the corridors. The farther in Kagome walked the warmer it seemed to become, though thankfully it wasn't unbearable. Then she heard the distinctive sound of metal clashing with metal.

"Sango?"

The woman she had been looking for stepped before her immediately, "Hey Kagome, what are you doing down here?"

Kagome looked up at the surrounding men who were still working, "Umm…I brought you lunch. You doing alright?" she asked while handing the box to her friend.

Sango immediately put her tools down and headed over to a metal bench on the side wall. "Thanks, and I'm actually doing really well. Most of the men leave me alone and I do the same for them. I have to say, I was expecting some underground dingy cave when Sesshomaru first spoke about this place. I mean, it may be underground but I don't really feel like it. It's always warm and they have plenty of lighting, also there are a few vents to keep the fresh air circulating."

"That's good, I was rather worried. How are the others treating you?" asked Kagome while she watched Shippo look in awe at all the weapons.

"Like I said, they leave me alone and I leave them alone. They are really fast at what they do though. It's going to take me a good couple of days before I can finish an even half decent sword, I feel a little left behind," said Sango while taking a bite of Kagome's shrimp.

Suddenly Sango stopped chewing and looked down at her food. The woman swallowed and then smiled at her friend, "It's really nice to not be eating Ramen."

* * *

Kagome left shortly after that. After Shippo had relit Sango's fire with his fox fire magic Kagome walked back over through the tunnel and back up the stairs. She had to admit, Sango was taking this a lot better than she had expected. Sango had a rather large aversion to anything demon, whether she realized it or not, and Kagome was just glad it didn't seem to be affecting anything.

"Kagome!" yelled Miroku as he walked up to her.

Kagome looked up in time to see Miroku waving at her from only a few feet away. It seemed she had been walking for longer than she had thought.

"You seem happy," smiled Kagome.

"Why wouldn't I be, a beautiful woman brought me food," he continued to smile while he sat down to open the wrapped box.

"No really," Kagome plopped very ungracefully down next to him, "why are you so happy? You are going into unknown territory with a pack of enemy demons. I have been stressing about this all day, what's your secret?"

"I guess I just decided that if I die, at least Naraku won't be able to claim it was by his hand," he said while slurping up a noodle.

Kagome quickly hit him on the arm, "You always were a good liar. You're terrified aren't you?"

There was no answer to that.

"I'm going to talk to your…escort," she said before Miroku could finish stuffing his mouth. She could hear him choking in the background as she walked to the group of armored men standing in a circle.

They immediately quieted down whatever they were talking about when she was within hearing distance. Without a word she stepped in front of the nearest demon, the really cocky looking one. "Name?"

He blinked at her a few times before answering, "Hiko?"

"You don't sound sure that that is your name, are you lying?" she asked.

"No, I know my own name it's just, I've never met a priestess that wasn't trying to kill me before," Hiko said arrogantly, like he was making a joke she wasn't understanding.

"Do you attack villages?" she asked innocently enough.

"Well yeah, when we are ordered to," said another guard.

"So you have a reputation for being crude and unfeeling killers that attack innocent civilians just trying to make enough food for their children to survive?" she asked a bit more seriously.

"No we-" started another guard but she cut him off.

"So you attack villages and wonder why you've never seen a priestess who wasn't shooting an arrow at you. Tell me, if you had a child, would you defend him from intruders?" she asked.

"Yes, of course, there is nothing a demon values more than his pack," answered Hiko.

"Trained priestesses are forbidden from having families, something about not focusing enough on their duties," she said while aimlessly checking her nails for dirt. She looked back up at the pack of demons, "so the town becomes her life. You are attacking the ones she has sworn to protect."

Kagome's face became stern, "We do not like it when you do that."

The group silenced themselves after that, having nothing to say. It was either out of shock or fright, either way Kagome didn't care. Her point was made.

"Thank you Kagome for the lovely lunch, I doubt anything sweater has touched my lips," spoke Miroku as he calmly walked up to the group. "I shall be back in about two days, until then please take care of yourself Kagome…and do not kill anyone. We all know how your temper can get."

Kagome playfully swatted his arm, "Relax would you? I have a bit more self control than you give me credit for…you know, when Inuyasha isn't around. Then I kind of just go off the deep end."

"I will see you later Kagome, please try not to start too many fights," he said while grabbing his pack and walking away towards what she assumed was the direction he was supposed to be heading into.

She waved back with a smile, "Goodbye Miroku," then she snickered, "goodbye Hiko!"

She saw the man stiffen. Well that should make sure Miroku comes back in one piece.

* * *

After Miroku had left Kagome wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. She could go back to the kitchens but then she would have to put up with that beast Sesshomaru had set her up with. There was always Sango but really, what did she know about making weapons? She would probably just get in Sango's way. Unfortunately her form of entertainment, mainly Shippo, was still down with Sango so really, there wasn't all that much to do.

Luckily Hama, or the beast as Kagome had dubbed her, was not in the kitchen when she first arrived. So Kagome still had her time in the kitchen to keep her occupied, which is exactly what she had done. About three hours later and two pies in the making, Kagome had decided she was done with that stupid horse demon's comments and left her treats in her little corner.

So here she was, sitting alone in her arm length room with various candles lining the floor as she attempted to study. It really was a sad day when you had nothing better to do than to finish school work. Damn, she hated calculus like non-other. It wasn't that it didn't make sense since it did, it just took forever to do. Perhaps she should work on that science paper instead, but then she would have to do the chapter readings as well.

Suddenly a meow came from her left. Kagome swung around to see none other than Kilala sitting in the doorway. "Hey girl, I was wondering where you went. Did you catch any demon mice today?"

Kilala went on her stomach and pushed something over to Kagome with her nose. Kagome, seeing that it was an abnormally large mouse tail took it as a yes; she had indeed found some demon mice. While trying not to scream in fright, because the thing really did look like worm, she reached over and pet Kilala's head. "Umm, good girl," she squeaked out.

"You okay Momma?" asked another voice.

Kagome once again looked up to see Shippo bouncing towards her, "Yes, I'm fine. Kilala just brought me a gift."

Shippo looked down at the mouse appendage and smiled, "She's saying that she loves you when she gives you stuff like that. She's trying to provide for you."

Kagome managed another smile, "I know, and that is why I'm not screaming. Now what have you been up to Shippo?"

"Oh I was down with Sango. Though she was really busy so I talked to some of the demons down there," he answered back while snuggling down into her lap.

"Oh, what did they say?" asked Kagome while she brushed her fingers through his hair.

"Nothing much. They are really quiet and just work the whole time. So I told them all about our adventures and how you saved me from the Thunder Brothers and how you are my Momma now," he said with half closed eyes.

"And what did they say about that?" she asked, even more curious than she was before.

"Umm…just that you must be pretty weird to do that," he said with a yawn and before she knew it the small fox had glided off to sleep while in her arms.

After a few more minutes of brushing her fingers through his unruly hair Kagome silently slipped Shippo back into the sheets. It had been a rather long day it seemed. She was positive Shippo wasn't sure how to act around all these demons. It had been so long since he had traveled with his own kind.

Perhaps some time with the children of this castle would be a good thing for him. He was around adult company constantly and play time was never a bad thing.

"What are you thinking little one?" asked Touga as his form appeared next to her.

"Just wondering if the children of this castle are like the adults," she said absentmindedly while she began running her fingers through her son's hair again.

"What do you plan on doing in order to find out?" he asked.

Kagome smiled, "Same thing I would do if they were human children. Play off of their sweet tooth. I always have loved American sweets after all."

* * *

Kagome woke up especially early the next morning in order to prepare for the day. She had no idea how many children were scattered about through the castle but she had no intention of running out of treats. Quietly she rolled her head back and forth in order to get the kinks out of her neck. She tried to stretch but her hand hit the wall before the proper extension could be done.

With a quick peck on Shippo's forehead she continued with her daily routine. She really needed a shower or something because it had been a while since she had properly bathed. Perhaps the children would know, that would be much better than having to ask one of the adults who would undoubtedly just laugh at her.

Kagome quickly headed over to the kitchens, intent on making something for breakfast. As soon as she slid the door open though her smile fell. Did demons ever sleep? Mind you there was only like three of them in there but come on, she just wanted some peace and quiet where she didn't constantly have to wonder how to angle her blade in order to see properly behind her through the reflection.

Silently, if you minus the grumbling, she began her day, eventually deciding that blueberry muffins were probably the best choice for her to make. They weren't too sugary but they had that somewhat sweet taste to them. Also, she was positive it would be something none of the children had ever tried before.

After mixing in her ingredients, and having to substitute a few things, Kagome reached over to start her fire, only to find her flint missing from its regular shelf. Looking again and finding nothing Kagome immediately blamed Hama, that _woman_. Fine then, she would find another way to start her fire. There had to be another role of flint around here somewhere. Kagome once again began searching only to come up empty handed.

Well this sucked, there goes her good moment. And here she was starting to think that this place would be bearable.

"I'll help you with that, you need a fire right?" asked a strangely new voice.

Kagome turned around to face a new person entirely. She was tall, about five eight if Kagome had to guess. Of course that wasn't extremely tall but it was taller than Kagome, and to her that was tall. Her hair was a dark shade of brown that went down to her shoulders and her eyes were a deep lavender color. From the mouse like brown ears on top of her head Kagome was guessing it was this demon's extended family Kilala had slain earlier.

"Umm…yeah," stuttered out Kagome.

"This one, right?" asked the girl.

Kagome looked at where the clawed finger was pointing. It was indeed her personal fire, since non-of the others wanted to share with her in the larger one. Suddenly a fireball rested in the girl's palm and she tossed it into the fire.

"Umm, thanks…" started Kagome but honestly she didn't know how to finish. This was certainly unexpected.

"Sure…" and then there was silence. Kagome wasn't exactly sure how to handle this situation. Not only had this demon helped her but she wasn't leaving afterwards. What was she supposed to talk to her about? The weather?

"What are you making?"

Kagome came out of her ramblings when the woman spoke. Kagome looked over towards her mixture, that's right. It wouldn't only be the children who had no idea what she was cooking but the adults as well. "Oh, it's a recipe from home that my mother taught me. They are called Blueberry Muffins…you can have one when I am done if you like."

The girl quickly turned around and headed back over to her station, "I don't eat human food."

Deciding she wasn't going to take it personal, because frankly Inuyasha had said the same thing to her when they first met, Kagome turned back to her food and started dishing the servings out into their little bowls. They would be abnormally large muffins since she had been forced to use some metal sake dishes but they would do. Perhaps she could get Sango to forge something for her.

While she was waiting Kagome looked back over at her two pies, only to realize there was only one. Kagome quickly walked over to where her deserts from the previous day had rested. There was…only one? The cherry pie was gone? But why? Where? They don't exactly get up and walk away after all. Sango was going to be so mad, cherry was her favorite.

Wait? Sango! That was it, Sango must have come to check up on her and taken the pie. Of course Kagome blocked out the fact that Sango could never eat a whole pie no matter how hard she tried.

Kagome turned around when she could smell the muffins. She quickly checked the watch on her wrist in a discreet fashion. It was hard to tell how long to cook things since she didn't have a set temperature or anything, like she would in a modern day oven.

"Thirty more seconds little one," spoke Touga.

Kagome looked behind her to see him leisurely sitting on the counter. She had the sudden impulse to tell him to get off, that it was wrong to sit on the place where you cooked but then it crossed her mind that well, it didn't really matter now did it. "How come that much longer?"

"I can smell it, about ten more seconds and they will be perfect," he said while smiling.

Kagome grabbed the iron sheet that she used to pull out the small treats. "Okay, thanks I guess…why are you being helpful?"

"Well I can't exactly make you help my boys when one is missing and one is still in a meeting now can I?" he countered, "Now would be a good time to take them out."

Kagome immediately reached in with the sheet and pulled them out of the fire, "Yeah, but you are usually much more annoying than this."

"I am hurt little one, I have done nothing but show fatherly affection," mock pain leaked from his smile.

"More like insane fatherly affection. Where I come from, they have facilities for people like you," she whispered.

After setting them all out Kagome let them cool as she put in another batch.

"Momma! Why didn't you wake me?" asked Shippo as he bounded in.

Kagome smiled as she caught him, "You were sleeping and my own Momma said to never wake a sleeping baby."

Shippo looked appalled, "I'm not a baby!"

"Your right, you're not just a baby, you're _my_ baby!" she laughed while she kissed his forehead and he tried to push away.

"Momma!" he yelled as he jumped out of her arms.

Kagome continued to laugh as she piled muffins onto a large platter. Soon all the muffins were done and she looked at the last few that she couldn't fit on the plate. Come on, there had to be something she could do with them.

Kagome looked at her son who was watching the muffin with glowing eyes. "If you want one that bad all you have to do is ask," she said while taking one for herself.

"Please?" he asked in that adorable voice of his that Inuyasha couldn't stand. She swore that made it all the cuter.

"Alright," but Kagome caught herself as she looked at the woman who had helped her earlier. She didn't have to do that. She could have left Kagome to search the entire kitchen, "but see that girl over there? Place one of these on her cooling rack and without her noticing. Think of it as a test, now don't get caught."

Shippo looked at the muffin in front of him and quickly grabbed it while heading over to the woman silently. Kagome turned back around to her dish, "He's cute," spoke Touga.

Kagome smiled, "I know."

"He reminds me of Inuyasha when he was a pup. Could you imagine how happy that little fox would be if he had a brother who loved him?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Oh look, he's back. I was wondering when you would be that pushy demon I have come to love."

Kagome watched as Touga licked his lips, "That muffin thing does look good though."

Kagome blinked as she took in the situation, and then she smiled, "Oh it is. It practically melts in your mouth. And you should try it with butter, it's completely amazing. You want to try one?"

She watched as he reached forward in order to grab the tasty treat, only for his claws to shimmer through it. She snickered as his face fell, "Damn, you did that on purpose."

"And that," she said while taking her last bite, "was for all my sleepless nights."

* * *

Shippo led her to yet another hallway that she had never seen before. It was like the castle was a maze, and one that she could easily see herself getting lost in.

"Umm, I think it is this way," he said shyly.

Then another door was opened and Kagome walked into a room with about ten little children looking up at her. Were they…working? Kagome looked at four of them, each of which who had a needle and some thread in hand, while two others where tending to what looked like a miniature vegetable garden. Another one was aimlessly looking out the window and the last one was really too small to be doing anything so she just watched the four who were sowing.

"Why aren't you playing?" she asked randomly.

One of the girls who was sowing was the one who spoke, "Why would we play?"

Kagome placed the tray down and comforted Shippo who was attached to her leg, "Because you are children, it's what you are supposed to do."

The same girl was the one who spoke again as she scrunched up her nose, "Who are you? You smell human."

Kagome suppressed a glare, "Get over it. I happened to remember what my son said about there being other children here and I decided to bake you something sweet."

She watched as a little boy tending to his garden sniffed the air. His eyes went wide and she was guessing he had caught a sniff of what she had been making, "I've never smelled anything like that before."

Kagome's heart went out to the kids before her, "I'll tell you what. I'll finish your stitch work if you guys do me a favor. I'm going to need you guys to finish off these muffins for me and then of course you can tell me all about yourselves okay?"

* * *

Well that had gone well, Kagome thought amiably. The children loved the muffins and she had learned all about them. Apparently all of their parents worked here in the castle but there really wasn't any type of daycare system so they just watched themselves. The first girl who had spoken had been mending her mother's skirt as she told her this; this was of course before she let Kagome take over in order to eat with the rest of the children.

She was thinking that visiting them was going to have to be an everyday occurrence as well. Not to mention she was going to have to start bringing them food every morning too. They opened up like she couldn't believe once you stuffed them with sweet tasting treats. Human or demon, food always worked. Oh, and she should think up a game too! That way the kids aren't always working.

Maybe soccer? Or hide and seek? What about tag? Oh this was going to be so much fun!

And of course they were impossibly sweet to her and told her where the servant's bath house was. Kagome hugged herself briefly as she remembered how adorable the children had been, once they got over the human factor of course. Shippo was actually still playing with them and Kagome couldn't be happier. As much as she wanted the boy all to herself she knew he needed interaction with other children.

Kagome quickly headed back towards the kitchen once she realized how late in the day it was. Hama would of course want her there to boss around. It didn't matter that Hama wouldn't let her touch anyone else's food of course, but Kagome just _had_ to be there. So of course, being Kagome, she had every intention of taking advantage of her time with a semi-full kitchen with actual ingredients and utensils. She still had Sango's lunch and dinner to make, and she had to figure out who Shippo had spoke to the other day. Kagome had every intention of thanking him for occupying her son's time like that and not brushing him off.

Perhaps a nice slab of raw meat would do the trick. Or maybe some chocolate, if he was a dog demon anyways. Contrary to belief dog demons were more than capable of eating chocolate and not being sick. Inuyasha had proved that much to her when he ate all of her younger brother's Halloween chocolate one year.

Then again, she was guessing that the guy who Shippo spoke to wasn't a dog demon, since the race seemed to be pretty rare. In fact, aside from the brothers and their father Kagome had never come across another dog demon.

Maybe cat nip?

* * *

Kagome quickly made it down the staircase as she looked at the watch on her wrist. She couldn't believe she had lost time like that, Sango must be starving! The woman with mounds of food in her hands continued to skip every other step as she made it to the bottom of the now familiar hallway.

As the priestess stepped into the heated area she immediately waved Sango who looked weary and tired, of course adding to Kagome's guilt. "I am so sorry Sango; Hama made me lose all track of time."

Sango just waved the whole situation away as she took the food out of her friend's hands, "Don't worry about it," and with that the demon slayer dove into her food.

"Inuyasha or Miroku back yet?" asked the very same demon slayer.

Kagome shook her head, "No, not yet. Though I wasn't really expecting either one of them to be back, no matter what or when they implied," Kagome gave a small laugh, "Of course that doesn't mean I'm not going to give them a load of crap when they come back. I mean, seriously, leaving us defenseless girls with a bunch of demons who want to tear us apart for breakfast, who the hell does that?"

Suddenly it was silent as the two girls looked at each other, a few more seconds passed by as they searched the room for eavesdroppers. When the coast was clear the two immediately broke out into laughter.

"Oh that is going to be rich, please say you are going to do that with me around. I could use a good laugh," snickered Sango while trying not to choke on her food, "Seriously, us? Helpless? Please, there isn't any demon you can't talk out of killing you."

Kagome perked up as a realization came to her, "Hey, what do you think would happen if Sesshomaru had to save me from something?"

Sango stopped chewing as she processed the new scenario, "God, Inuyasha would die knowing that. He'd _owe_ the man who has tried to kill him for years. He'd probably never let you out of his sight again."

Kagome quickly weighed her options. Possibly make the two moronic dogs face each other on a civil level and be stuck with Inuyasha as a personal attachment for the rest of her life…or find a different way. Imprisonment or not to be imprisoned.

"Not worth it," she sighed dramatically.

"What's not worth it?" asked Sango as she took a drink of water.

Kagome snapped her attention back to her friend, "Nothing, hey, who did Shippo talk to the other day?"

"Oh, the big guy over there," Sango pointed aimlessly behind her back.

Kagome peaked over her friends shoulder to see six overly large demons working on their weapons, "Umm, they are all rather humongous Sango."

Sango took another bite out of her meal and turned around, "The one with the spikes coming out of his back, and the fangs that look like the size of your arm. Why?"

Kagome gulped down her bit of fear as she looked at the oversized demon. Shippo went to talk to that? On his own? Oh, her little boy was growing up wasn't he? "I'm going to talk to him."

Kagome tried to stand but was immediately pulled down by her friend. Kagome looked up from the ground as she stared at her friends terrified state, while Sango stood above her, shaking just slightly. "Kag's, I love you but you don't have any common sense. This guy bent another guy's sword in half after declaring it was too long. You can't just go up to someone like that and ask how their day is going!"

"Well of course not, I'm going to offer him food first," with that said Kagome yanked her hand out of Sango's hold and began to head up to the large creature before her. Hopefully he liked chocolate chip cookies, and if he didn't, if anything his curious demon nature should at least want to know what it was she was holding. At least that was an opening. Mind you it may be an opening for mass murderage but she was just going to have to take that chance now wasn't she.

In a very hesitant way Kagome walked up to the giant beast. She stood there for a few seconds as she contemplated what to say. How are you? Please don't attack me or where did you get those scars were on the very top of her list. For some reason neither one of them felt appropriate.

As the demon continued to work and pound away at the metal Kagome placed a hand on her hip, deciding on the appropriate course of action. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all. He seemed incredibly immersed in his work and he didn't really look like the talkative type. Well that burst her friendly bubble.

She immediately sat down on the nearest slab as she absentmindedly stared at him. Kagome quickly glanced back over at Sango who was not so discretely staring at her and the demon who was ignoring her.

Suddenly the metal work stopped, "Are you just going to sit there?"

The voice was hoarse, gruff and it broke in odd places. But most of all it seemed dry and crackly, like it was out of practice. In fact it reminded her of a mountain man, one who lived all on his own, hunted for his own food and killed anyone that looked like food. Oddly enough, anywhere else in Japan and that analogy would have worked.

Kagome contemplated her answer, "I actually think I might. Aside from thank you for taking care of my son and listening to him like you did, I can't really think of anything to say. Which is odd for two reasons. One, I always have something to say and two, I was sure something would come to me the moment I came over here."

The man made a small grunting noise as he began his metal work again. A few quiet minutes like this passed before any more words were spoken. The demon banging his fist against a sword and Kagome watching him absentmindedly.

"Does that hurt?" she asked randomly as another fist connected with the metal.

"No," was all he said, not a beat was broken in his rhythm.

The silence was immediately back and Kagome felt the sudden urge to fill it, but honestly, what was she going to talk about?

"Do you have any children?" she asked suddenly.

The man quite quickly stopped what he was doing and looked at her questioningly. After a few minutes of silence he answered her, "No, I do not."

"I have two of them…sort of. Shippo is the first one. I found him when he was just a little baby. He couldn't have been older than three or four years by demon terms, not that he has really aged much since then. Then there is the biggest baby of all, Inuyasha. I swear he is worse than Shippo could ever be. He's like that little kid that wants to be held all the time but throws a fit every time you try to touch him," she said amiably.

"Lord Inuyasha? Lord Sesshomaru's brother? You act as his mother?" he questioned while sitting down next to her.

Kagome snickered at the thought of playing mother to Inuyasha, "More like…the reluctant sister most of the time, but don't let him hear you say that. He thinks he's good at taking care of himself. He also thinks I am incapable of taking care of myself. He's rather arrogant that way. I am beginning to see that it runs in the family."

The demon nodded and then continued on with his work. Kagome remained seated for the rest of the day, not really saying anything other than a sentence or two. It wasn't until she was leaving with Sango that another question popped from her mouth unexpectedly.

"Are you a different breed of demon I have never heard of before?" she asked while placing the left over cookies back in her bag. They had both eaten a few, her more than him of course, but in the end his curiosity had won out over his desire to work.

"No," he said as he placed his sword in the fire next to him, "Why?"

Kagome was amazed, that was the first question he had asked her that day, aside from the first one. "Oh, well, most demon's I know can't stand me ignoring them and well, you just let me sit there, not doing anything."

"You weren't ignoring me. You were sitting there to talk to me, were you not?" he answered in his deep voice.

Kagome's mouth could have dropped for all she knew. It made sense though. She hadn't actually been ignoring him; she had gone over there with the specific purpose of talking to him. Damn, and she was thinking the demon race was maturing, no, it was just her not realizing the situation. Sometimes she was so dense it was amazing, "Well, thank you for putting up with me and my son. Anything I can bring you tomorrow?"

The demon lifted what seemed to be an eye brow but she couldn't really tell what with his large and disfigured form, "You will be here tomorrow too?"

Kagome, hearing his mocking tone crossed her arms in a needlessly defiant manner, "Yes, why?"

"…More of those sweets then. The men next to me were to chicken to try a bite," his gruff voice was the same but she could hear the subtle mirth in it. It seems he wasn't laughing at her at all, well there was a first.

Kagome's demeanor immediately changed with the realization, "Okay, I can bring down some raw meat if you would like. That was always what my demon friends ate when not around me."

With that Kagome latched onto Sango's arm and hugged her friend close as they walked up the stairs. Today was actually turning out to be a rather good day wasn't it? Now if only Miroku and Inuyasha were here, then her day would be all better-Kagome was suddenly lurched backwards as Sango pulled her back into reality from her thoughts.

"What the-" but she stopped when she saw who was standing in front of them.

Kagome refused to gulp as the situation hit her. No Inuyasha, no Touga, no Miroku and his wind tunnel and no giant boomerang.

Crap.

"Hello…Sesshomaru. I see the meeting is finally over," she somehow managed to say.

Suddenly all that confidence that she felt earlier while telling him off in the great hall was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Firevixen73-I know, almost no Sesshomaru/Kagome interaction, but I had to set up Kagome and her place in the castle and it was easiest to do when Sesshomaru wasn't around. This way he can't sabotage her in a Sesshomaru like fashion. I hope everyone liked it, please review, it will make my day!


	5. Inuyasha Returns

_Recap:_

_With that Kagome latched onto Sango's arm and hugged her friend close as they walked up the stairs. Today was actually turning out to be a rather good day wasn't it? Now if only Miroku and Inuyasha were here, then her day would be all better-Kagome was suddenly lurched backwards as Sango pulled her back into reality from her thoughts. _

_"What the-" but she stopped when she saw who was standing in front of them._

_Kagome refused to gulp as the situation hit her. No Inuyasha, no Touga, no Miroku and his wind tunnel and no giant boomerang._

_Crap._

_"Hello…Sesshomaru. I see the meeting is finally over," she somehow managed to say._

_Suddenly all that confidence that she felt earlier while telling him off in the great hall was nowhere to be found._

* * *

Perhaps she should have thought her situation through a bit more. If Kagome would have at least thought of everything she was charged with accomplishing she wouldn't have told Sesshomaru off like she had.

Then again, this was her and a saint she was not. So maybe she still would have told the son-of-a-bitch off, but that was beside the point. The point was that she needed serious anger management therapy. Perhaps if she had a class or something to help her out then she wouldn't find herself constantly in these situations. You know, the ones that leave you standing in front of a blood thirsty demon that you had just previously told off. Honestly, she didn't have enough fingers to count how many times that had happened to her.

It was a wonder she had survived in the feudal era as long as she had.

She looked up at the demon Lord that was still staring at her.

"How did the meeting go?" she asked cautiously. Just because he was an uncivilized brute didn't mean she had to stoop to his level.

Kagome watched as his eye's hardened at her words and he turned his head to the right like she was somehow unworthy of the answer.

Kagome felt her anger rise. Screw playing nice, he was asking for a war if he continued ignoring her like this.

"I asked you a question," she growled back.

Kagome could vaguely hear Sango silently speak out her name pleadingly but Kagome was very good at not listening to others, especially when it came to advice. And just because her life was in serious danger didn't mean that she was going to start listening to them now.

"I care not what you ask for wench," came the familiar cold and condescending voice.

She had no idea how it happened, but somehow that had pissed her off more than anything Inuyasha had ever said to her. Well at least she had her answer. Being a difficult ass really was a family trait. Besides, no one was allowed to call her wench.

But for the moment Kagome would keep her mouth shut. No need to start a fight with a seasoned warrior while her own night-in-not-so-shinny-armor was away.

"Alright then, I will accept the fact that you have no tactical knowledge of war or how to treat your allies. I can't after all, expect you to be the warrior that your father was," she finished. Okay, so she would _almost_ keep her mouth shut. That counted…sort of. And perhaps it was a low blow, stabbing the one spot that she knew would hit home for the overgrown werewolf but like she said before, no one calls her wench and gets away with it.

Kagome watched as his eyes narrowed and tinted pink. Damn, she was really good at pissing him off wasn't she? She had only seen him loose control three times in the many years she's been hauling herself around the country and here it was, a daily occurrence. Perhaps she should invest in some sort of protection spell or something. There had to be some type of miko or witch around here with black magic she could use.

"Lady Kagome!" yelled an overly panicked Lord Shiho, "There you are, Uza I and have been looking all over for you."

It was amazing how he bypassed the entire situation with Sesshomaru.

"You were? Why?" she asked stupidly.

"Just wondering when that boy of yours will be back. We have made all of our arrangements and it is time you made yours. The others are getting worried that the half breed will not return," he said while surveying the situation.

Kagome felt a tick make its way up her spine, "Inuyasha will be back when he figures out how he is going to deal with the brother who has done nothing but attempt to kill him. You understand his reluctance to return."

"But that is all in the past now. You and your friends are here, now, as in the present time. I and Lord Uza wish to hear about all of your battles as well," he said calmly while placing a soothing hand behind her back, leading her away from the orderly chaos that is Sesshomaru. Kagome looked at Sango as the woman tried to discretely make her own way back downstairs.

Kagome doubted it had anything to do with the memories brought up in the story telling and everything to do with the company.

Kagome tried to turn her head again in order to look at Sesshomaru when Sango was no longer visible, "I wouldn't do that Miko. He is still rather mad about your comment."

Kagome huffed, "Then he shouldn't have pushed me."

"It is not in Sesshomaru's nature to be…kind. Though, you do seem to spark anger in him like no one else. He has always been in control of everything he does, to an excruciating level. I suppose that with your defiance, blatant disregard for his station and your acceptance of his half-brother you have him on edge. He is acting like a pup with those tantrums of his; I have never seen him like this before. Please, he is adjusting as much as the halfling you speak so fondly of. This truce is not easy for him either. Try not to blame him for his superior attitude towards you, it is all he knows."

"I know," Kagome blew her bangs out of her face, "he wasn't raised to be friendly. I get it." Internally she was wondering how many times she was going to end up hearing that little phrase before she threw something.

Lord Shiho stopped where he was, "You seem to be very insightful for a woman your age. How is it you are not married. The usual age for your kind is about fifteen is it not? Surely the men you meet must be swarming at your feet."

Kagome tried not to notice his change of topic, "I wasn't raised that way and no, they do not 'swarm'. I'm just a miko who lacks any form of discipline. That isn't very good marriage material in this time."

"This time? Why, do you think a man's preference will change in the near future?" asked the demon humorously. Kagome could even feel the laugh waiting to break free from where she was walking, "That is a time I would like to see, though I doubt even my long years will allow me to see such a sight."

Of course, she had to be stupid and hint at her…oddity, luckily he did not really pick up on it, "You never know," she turned to the demon next to her, "What were the conditions for his agreement to work with us?"

The man sighed as he rubbed his head in indignation, "You were wrong when you said that he wasn't as good at his father. The pup drove a hard deal, but not one we could pass up. He will get certain territories of each of our land. Small mind you, but still more than we wanted to give. He will also be entitled to overrule each of us for one time, and one time only, in a decision. Luckily we were able to make sure that no more than one of us will be allowed to be overruled over an issue in a particular disagreement."

"So he gets to make a decision for you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, that was not something any of us were keen on agreeing to. Unfortunately the ruling I fought for was no passed," he said humorously.

Kagome tried to guess what it was but came up with nothing, "I give up."

He smiled, "I asked that you and your friends be moved out of the dungeon keep that you are in now."

Kagome smiled as well, "It isn't so bad, not after you really have slept in dungeons."

"Glad to hear it. How is the help treating you?" he asked.

Kagome thought about her day, "Most of them are nice, if not reluctant."

"That makes me less worried. Don't let your guard down though, you are still a miko," he turned her around so she directly faced him in the hallway, "A bit of advice, don't bring up Sesshomaru's father. It is a rather sore subject."

Kagome's eye's narrowed, "Sort of like Inuyasha's half breed status is to him. I'm doing what I think is right. I'm giving them a chance to work together."

"By placing Sesshomaru's aggressions onto yourself?"

Kagome stiffened, she hadn't thought she had been that obvious.

"You weren't if that is what you were worried about. Obvious I mean. I told you, I am good at things like this. Those brothers have centuries of grief between them and they need to focus on something else other than their hatred. I have to say, it is not healthy to sacrifice yourself in that way," he argued.

Kagome pulled out of his grip, "You have a better idea?"

He stopped to look at her, "Sacrificing yourself so they don't have enough time and energy to concentrate on each other…no, that is rather brilliant. Even I can't think of something to top that."

"Then maybe you should let me take care of myself," she said angrily. Honestly, she had enough things to worry about right now, the last things she needed was _another_ nosy demon.

"Tell me though; is there anything in particular that you are planning that I should be aware of? I would like to know when I will have to jump in to save your life for future references," he said while smiling, but underneath it all Kagome could tell the man was half serious.

She suddenly realized that Lord Shiho was the type of man that liked to play father. One who is the mediator for most of the time but is still very protective.

"No, my idiocy really just comes in bursts if you must know," she countered as he led her into a sitting room.

Suddenly a very sly grin made its way across her face as one of her idea's hit her head on.

"That is it isn't it? That will be the look I am going to need to look out for…right before you do something I am going to regret," he said while sighing.

Kagome was immediately standing in front of him instead of next to him, "Tell me all about Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's father would you? Dislikes and likes? Please?"

Lord Shiho's eyes widened to a degree that no human's could have, "That is not something I should be discussing…I already told you my thoughts on using their father against him, I cannot participate."

"Oh…I didn't think of using the information against Sesshomaru," she mumbled incoherently.

Lord Shiho immediately gave her a look of skepticism, "Who else is there to use such information against?"

Kagome slowly turned her head from the wall she was staring at aimlessly so she could properly face the demon before her. With the most innocent smile she could muster Kagome answered the question, "Oh…no one in particular…just a little curious is all."

Kagome made sure to bat her eyelashes in a very unthreatening manner, one that made her look more like a little kid rather than a grown woman.

Lord Shiho reached up so he could rub his temples, "Females who know how to get their way are more dangerous than any demon with a sword."

* * *

Kagome stomped out of the room she had been occupying, Touga was an ass and that was all there was to it. The moment Lord Shiho even mentioned anything the stupid dog turned up and did everything he could to make her lose her focus.

Did the damn demon have a radar that went off every time she did something he didn't want her to? Because it certainly felt like it!

Suddenly the projection was next to her, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Shut up," she growled.

"Oh, still mad about my favorite positions are we?" he said while smirking.

Kagome stopped in her tracks, "Well excuse me for not wanting to know the position that you impregnated Sesshomaru's mother in."

"And here I thought you wanted to know things about me. Isn't that what you asked about?"

Kagome tried to hit him but her fist immediately went through his form, "Damn you and your see-through like self. I will figure out how to annoy you, and it will be just as bad as how you annoy me. Mark my words, it is going to happen before this quest of yours is over."

Touga laughed at her anger, which of course made her even angrier.

"Little one, you could travel the ends of the earth and only find that your actions make me happy. There is nothing more amusing that I have found in all of my travels then watching your day to day activities," he countered.

Before Kagome could yell incoherently at him, for she really had no response to that, a sudden boom made its way through the corridors which was immediately followed by a shaking feeling. Once the miniature earth quake was over Kagome immediately looked towards Touga.

"Oh, yes, I meant to tell you. Inuyasha arrived about five minutes ago. I hope you have a battle plan in the ready so you can deal with him. I doubt he will be as easy to placate as Sesshomaru was. Inuyasha always was more…thick headed," he said merrily.

Kagome glared as she began to run through the corridor all the while thinking of her plan, and yes, she had a plan. She wasn't a complete idiot.

After passing a few more rooms and hallways she made it into the one room she had been looking for. It was very similar to the one that Inuyasha had destroyed just a few days ago, only slightly smaller. But the same dark curtains, dark furniture and overall depressing attitude could be found in this room as well.

Perhaps she should renovate.

"Inuyasha! Sit!" she screamed before she had the chance to survey the area.

A large crashing noise was heard once again, only this one was followed by a stream of curse words. Kagome, being more than used to the situation, walked towards the cloud of dust.

The main cloud of dust suddenly spoke, "Damit woman, why the hell did you do that?"

Kagome pretended to think about it before she answered. While she did so she surveyed the room, one broken table, one dent in the wall and three demon lords. Great, just great. "Were you and Sesshomaru in a fight?"

Silence surrounded her but she continued to wait for her response from the hole in the ground. She could at least see him now since the dust had cleared.

A dejected voice, that sounded like a kicked stray, resonated through her ears, "…Yes."

"Were there claws involved?"

"…Yes."

"Were you going to stop any other way?"

"…Maybe."

"Inuyasha, I swear I'll say it again if you are lying to me," she said while glaring at his form. Then she switched her gaze back to her nails, "Unless your 'maybe' was him knocking you out and you being unable to fight anymore…I guess I could accept that as an excuse for you stopping."

She could tell when the spell wore off since he was immediately in her face about to yell at her but she thankfully cut him off, "I guess it's a good thing you have stamina and would never let one little punch from him knock you out in order to fulfill that scenario. Thank god we solved that little problem, but since you're up anyways, I have a few things to share with you."

He blinked a few times as he attempted to catch up with what she was saying. After a few seconds of contemplation he crossed his red clad arms and huffed, "You better believe I'd kick his ass."

"Speaking of ass kicking, that is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about. Sesshomaru has graciously enough given each of us jobs while in the castle so we don't get bored," her hand went up in a silencing motion when he tried to argue her point. "That argument is over and done so don't even try. Now, as I was saying, each of us have various jobs and yours is to train the newer recruits…hence the ass kicking."

Again his mouth opened but he closed it when he realized she wasn't done. It really was amazing what a glare could do.

"That does not include killing, maiming or torturing any of his soldiers."

He paused as he took in her conditions, "Wait, I get to beat the crap out of his men?" he asked disbelievingly.

Kagome eyed him skeptically, like she wasn't sure whether she should answer that question, "As long as they are _learning_ from these beatings…I don't see a real problem. I still stand by what I said earlier though. I also reserve the right to pull rank on you and to make you go easier on them."

He scoffed, "Well that's no fun. You're such a wuss. All they'll have to do is tell you that they broke a nail and you'll get all 'mommy' on them."

Kagome's motherly instincts immediately combined with her defensive yet aggressive nature, so she did the mature thing, and stomped on his foot while digging in with her heal, "Shippo sprained his ankle you meathead. I wasn't going to let you make him run any more laps around the village with you screaming at him with a sprained ankle!"

Inuyasha immediately grabbed his bare foot, "That hurt woman!"

"You call me woman again and I'm sicking Sesshomaru on you!"

"Oh, he comes when called now does he?"

Kagome frowned, "Well no, but I'm sure I could think of something to make him attack you. It seems I am very good at pissing him off. I've never seen his eye's so red so often. Maybe I could tell him all the names you call him behind his back."

"Oh, because he's never been called a bastard before," said Inuyasha while he finally placed his foot back down on the ground, his demon healing finally coming into play.

Kagome smirked her signature wicked grin, she finally had him where she wanted him, "Maybe, but I'm sure he's never been called a bitch-who-likes-it-from-behind-" her mouth was suddenly covered as she was rolling on the floor, Inuyasha on top of her. He had effectively silenced her with his body that lay pinned on top of her, forcing her into submission, but he had also very effectively covered her mouth with his calloused fingers.

"Okay, maybe I'll give you want you want, but only if you promise _never_ to say those names out loud again."

Kagome looked to her left as the disbelieving lords in front of her gapped, mouths wide open in disbelief.

Lord Uza was the first to speak, "I'm not sure, but I believe that was a direct attack on your status as a male as well as your sexual preference Lord Sesshomaru."

She could only see Sesshomaru through the corner of her eye but even she could tell he was on the verge of an attack, that was if his flexing fingers said anything about the situation. Kagome looked back over at Inuyasha who looked a few shades paler than normal.

"Make the deal Kagome," he growled.

She shook her head 'no' and she watched him pale further, "What the hell do you mean no?!"

She quickly bit whatever portion of his hand she could fit in her mouth. He immediately let go, "Two more conditions and I promise they never leave my lips…in his presence…again."

Out of the corner of her eye she watched Sesshomaru take a step forward. She was guessing it wasn't out of curiosity but anger. Momentarily she had to wonder how angry he was. Most men in her era would be screaming out their latest conquest right now for the world to hear while beating the crap out of whoever had accused them. She had a feeling he was leaning towards the second of the two with how he had taken another step towards them on the floor.

Suddenly she heard another door open to her left. With a quick turn of the head she watched as Lord Shiho walked into the room.

…This might be a good thing, "Hey Lord Shiho…you know that thing I was talking about earlier?"

He stopped mid-step as he not only took in the surrounding area but her words as well, "…Already Lady Kagome? That was fast now wasn't it? I figured I would at least have until dinner."

Kagome smiled, "Sesshomaru's going to kill me, perhaps a bit of maiming first."

His right eye brow rose, "Oh? Care to tell me why?"

"I might have accidentally let it slip that Inuyasha may or may not like to call him a-pussy-who-wants-a-dic-" a hand was suddenly back on her mouth as her head was slammed into the floor.

"That wasn't the one you had said earlier Kagome," came the same growl.

She immediately gave him her famous innocent look that would have Shippo groveling at her majesty.

Out of the corner of her eye, since there was no way Inuyasha was letting her move, she watched as Sesshomaru took two more steps forward. Damn, he must be angry now.

"What the hell do you want Kagome?" grumbled Inuyasha.

Slowly but surely Inuyasha took his hand off of her mouth, but the appendage hovered close enough that if the need should arise it could be quickly put back in place, "Two things. One, I want you to limit your physical fights with Sesshomaru. Since I know that going cold turkey it to advanced for either one of you, I'm saying one fight a day. Number two, Sesshomaru has to come down to the training field once every four days to watch your progress…and to make sure you aren't killing his men."

"Fuck no!" he yelled as jumped up off of her, "One fight a day? I'm guessing you want no blood in that little rule too huh?"

Kagome quickly got up and dusted herself off, "Naturally."

"He can fucking go to hell before I agree to-"

"A sexually confused princess," she countered with one of his many, many names.

Inuyasha paused as he looked up at the furious Sesshomaru who was now, and thankfully, being restrained by Lord Uza.

"Three, three fights a day and we have a deal," he said pleadingly. It seemed even the ever blunt and hard headed Inuyasha knew when not to pick a fight with Sesshomaru.

"A child rapist," countered Kagome again.

That was when she heard it. A loud piercing growl made its way towards them as Sesshomaru was once again pinned to the ground by his fellow Lords.

"F-fine!" screamed Inuyasha as he attempted to back out of the room, "O-one fight a day, that I at least start. No blood if it can be helped and if he wants he can supervise once every four days!"

Kagome smiled triumphantly, "So glad you see it my way Inuyasha. Sango is down stairs doing her part if you want to see her. I'm sure your nose will lead you there."

Before she could finish he was gone.

"…Well that went well."

Lord Uza was on her case immediately while the others were attempting to keep Sesshomaru from following his brother, "What do you mean that went well? Lord Sesshomaru almost killed you and Inuyasha!"

Kagome turned to look at Lord Uza while suppressing a laugh, "I know, it was great. Did you see him run out of here? And by the way," she turned to Lord Shiho, "I didn't have to give him any of my votes for major decisions now did I?"

With that she winked almost mockingly.

Lord Shiho immediately dropped Sesshomaru's arm, "The woman is right. She just did a complete negotiation with the half-" but he stopped himself when he saw Kagome glare at him. Without a word, and just a small gulp, he rephrased his sentence. "She did, she negotiated and didn't give up a thing mind you. She got what she wanted and all in under five minutes, when it took us almost three days."

Lord Malik spoke this time, "Lord Sesshomaru is a much more seasoned negotiator. I assure you Lord Shiho, that was nothing none of us couldn't have done ourselves."

Kagome immediately felt her blood boil. Was this guy joking? It took her years to finally figure out how to handle Inuyasha and he thinks he can do better? Now, Kagome wasn't normally one for manipulating or tricking others. She always had a very good reason for what she did, and it always gave a better and cleaner outcome than anything else that could happen, but this guy was really starting to get to her.

Kagome immediately started to fish around in her head for the Lord's name, "Lord Malik right? I heard one of the guards talking about you earlier," lie, it was one of the maids.

The man immediately turned to her with the mention of his name and skills, "And what exactly did you hear?"

Kagome once again smirked and she watched silently as Lord Shiho's face fell with her infamous look, "Not much, just that you were decent on the battle field, but certainly no Sesshomaru."

With her seed of insecurity planted in the demon Lord's mind Kagome quickly walked back over to the door, her heels clicking rhythmically on the wooden floor, as she stepped out of the dreary room and into the dreary corridor, leaving a very different red-eyed demon inside then when she first opened her mouth.

* * *

"She's an undisciplined wench, why are we putting up with her?" yelled Lord Malik as his eye's attempted to turn back to their original color.

Lord Shiho immediately sighed, "You did provoke her."

"I did no such thing," mumbled the demon.

Lord Uza was too busy laughing at the whole situation, especially at his rival's expense, to make a proper comment.

Lord Shiho tried not to rub the temple of his head in agony, "Lord Malik, Lady Kagome has proven herself to be more than capable of handling anything we or Lord Sesshomaru has thrown on her. She has also tamed Lord Inuyasha to a manageable point where we might actually get something of use done. Why do you continue to discredit her?"

"That woman is nothing but a human female of all things. That breed has proven to be unreliable," he growled.

"Careful," choked back Lord Uza, "that speaks volumes of bitterness."

A quick hand by Lord Sesshomaru was the only thing that kept Lord Malik from lunging, "We do not have time for this fight, and I refuse to have war declared while you two are on my property."

It seemed Lord Uza wasn't done quite yet though, "Oh look, the child's prediction was right. You are nothing to Sesshomaru on the battle field or that hand never would have swayed you from an attack you truly wanted to do."

A large growl vibrated through the room, "I'll rip him to shreds," screamed Lord Malik.

Lord Sesshomaru was truly forced to get involved now as he restrained Lord Malik with both his arms but it was only until the very familiar green poison started to leak from the dog demon's pores that Lord Malik truly back down.

"You had to give him his arm back?" slouched Lord Malik as he rubbed his now burning wrists.

Lord Shiho made a slight face at his comrades abrupt manner, "My mother's line has had regeneration powers in our family for years and that was the only payment I could provide for his help in regaining my lands. Of course I gave it back. What else was I supposed to pay him with?"

Lord Sesshomaru looked between his fellow Lords, "Do not squabble in my house, I will not tolerate it."

Lord Shiho frowned at his fellow Lord, "Sesshomaru, you will need to keep your temper in check as well. I know that having them here has you on edge, and goes against your beliefs but please keep your urges of dismemberment in check. I agree with Lady Kagome's rule of one fight a day…no matter who provokes who."

Lord Uza smirked, "I agree, unless it is Lady Kagome telling us those wonderful names for you again. That is something I would pay money for."

Lord Sesshomaru let loose a large growl of frustration that immediately silenced the room, "That woman is an uncouth heathen. Unless we are talking of using her as bait I do not want her brought up in front of me Uza."

Lord Uza again smiled, it seemed he had no sense of self preservation, "That uncouth heathen of a woman has managed to get you all red-eyed every time she is in your presence. That is not an easy thing to do. Even since you were a pup you were uncommonly stoic. I say we invite her to our meetings more often."

His vision suddenly went black as he was knocked to the ground. Whether it was by Malik or Sesshomaru, Lord Uza figured he would never know.

* * *

Kagome idly waited outside of the gardens for Inuyasha. Honestly the palace was rather lovely, if not a bit…dull, dark, depressing, morbid, unfriendly…maybe she should stop.

The gardens on the other hand were fascinating. They were filled with everything a princess could want to spend her whole day looking at. There were flowers all around her, and the sakura trees would be beautiful when they were blooming. The koi fish were amusing as well. She had never been one for doing nothing but she could see herself sitting here for a few hours.

Her finger lazily danced in the water when a large boom was suddenly heard. Kagome turned just in time to see what looked like the dust rising off of the side of the castle. That must have been some hit, "What the hell was that?"

"From the smell of things, Sesshomaru just knocked that Uza guy straight into tomorrow morning."

Kagome turned again to see none other than Inuyasha standing before her, "Took you long enough."

"Feh…I wanted to make sure Sango was okay. She's still just a pathetic woman," he countered.

Kagome contemplated telling him off for that statement but figured she wouldn't get anywhere with it. Besides, she had already humiliated him enough for one day, "That wasn't what I was talking about."

She watched as her best friends ears dropped, "I know."

"…So what did you decide?"

"Obviously I came back didn't I?" he growled as he ungracefully plotted down next to her.

"We can still sneak out if you want, I'm not going to make you do anything Inuyasha," she said softly. If that was his decision she was just going to have to figure out a way to get past Touga.

"A little late for that isn't it?"

Kagome internally cringed. Yet another motivator to get around Touga's control. This was one of those moments where she really did hate Touga, "I was just trying to get you to think about it. You and I both know that if I hadn't of put my foot down you never would have considered the idea."

"…I know," he said with a pout. "I've also decided to stay…as long as bastard doesn't be, well, him."

Kagome giggled as she pulled his drooping ears onto her lap. Unfortunately his head and mouth were attached but she supposed she could put up with it if he was willing to let her play with his ears. There they sat, Kagome next to the pond with her legs stretched out and Inuyasha, eyes closed, laying on her thighs while she massaged his ears blissfully.

"I see you are back to the appropriate names again," she giggled again.

Inuyasha's eyebrows scrunched up, "Of course I am, he could be within hearing distance. No way are my insides going to be on the outside."

"Little Inuyasha scared?" she said in her baby voice.

He let out a slight growl, "No, just not stupid. What was with that anyways, you never corner me like that."

Kagome released a large sigh as she rubbed a particularly soft spot, she swore this was the most relaxing thing anyone could do. "What else was I going to do? I mean really? I had to limit your fighting, I had to make sure you and Sesshomaru were at least acknowledging each other and I had to do all of that while in a short enough time span that the other Lords couldn't throw in their own conditions."

"You could have told me."

"Please Inuyasha, you listen to me about as much as I listen to you."

Inuyasha let loose a small laugh at that, "Alright, you can have that one wench."

He suddenly whimpered as she yanked on his ear, "Oww bitch, that hurts!"

Kagome made sure to yank harder, "Alright, alright, I'm sorry just lay off on the pulling of my ears!"

Kagome smiled as she began rubbing them again, "See how easy that was? Now if only you could get things right the first time."

"You're still a bitch," he growled, his eye's now wide open as he tried to watch her hands.

"And you're still a brat, but I put up with you," she countered with a smile.

Inuyasha smirked, "But I'm your favorite brat, you like me way better than you like Shippo."

"…" Kagome made sure to say nothing as she tried to hold in her laugh. It really was amazing how close they had gotten over the years. Before they never would have had a conversation like this, let alone him laying on her lap. Of course, she wasn't naive enough to think that he would stay this friendly as soon as someone was within hearing or seeing range.

"Damit woman you better agree to that," he growled again while sitting up.

"Alright…I agree," she laughed.

"Are you mocking me woman?" he screeched while standing up on both feet so he could have a more domineering position.

"I assure you Inuyasha, I have no idea what you are talking about," she argued.

"Umm…Lady Kagome?" came a very small voice.

Kagome immediately looked around until she found a small rabbit demon standing next to her feet. The little blacked eyed, brown haired demon at most came up to her waist. Possibly lower. Though at the sight of her Kagome immediately wanted to scoop the creature up and see if her fur was as soft as it looked. Maybe the ears were like Inuyasha's? She quickly thought back to the feel of the half-demon's ears. No, nothing else could be that soft or that much fun to touch.

But how did she not sense the demon? How did Inuyasha not? She then looked over at said half demon and noticed how he was standing at very least a good three feet from her. Damn Inuyasha sensed her and didn't tell her!

Kagome looked back down at the three foot tall rabbit demon, "Yes?"

"It is Lord Uza, he has a rather bad bruise on his cheek and we cannot get it to go away. He said that only Lord Sesshomaru's poison could do such a thing. He was hoping you could help since you have experience treating wounds with Sesshomaru's poison. He knows you cannot purify the poison since your powers would just attack him, but he was hoping you could do something he hadn't thought of," spoke the small creature.

"I don't think you should go Kagome, it's in the meeting room. All the other Lords are there as well," said Inuyasha protectively.

"Come with me?" she asked as she turned to face him, "You wouldn't make me go in there all alone would you?"

Inuyasha did another one of his famous non-committal responses but began to head towards the proper direction, arms folded up into his overgrown shirt in a defiant manner.

Kagome, seeing her opening immediately followed him into the castle, the small rabbit demon right behind her. Luckily Inuyasha had a rather keen nose so they didn't get lost, which was a miracle on her end. By the time they reached the room there was a rather large crowd of servants standing outside the sliding door, each trying to peak in.

Kagome, who was uncharacteristically curious by nature herself, smiled as she promised one of the children that she knew that she would tell them what happened after dinner. With a pat on the head towards the little badger boy she stepped into the room.

Well this was amusing.

There was no hole in the wall, it seemed this room was re-enforced unlike the others, but there was a lot of damage that would need fixing. For starters there was a straight line of broken floor, indicating the area where Lord Uza had been vaulted through the ground. Kagome absentmindedly picked up one of the large, arm length, pieces of wood that had came originally from the floor.

She looked at Lord Uza who was still laying against the wall, the trail of broken wood and furniture leading to him.

"I see there was a disagreement," she stated obviously while she continued to survey the room.

Lord Uza smiled as he waved one of the servants away, "I would get up to greet you but this spot is rather comfortable…that and it would take quite a bit of effort that I am not willing to come up with just yet."

Kagome turned to one of the servants as she saw the shiner on Lord Uza's face, "Could you please get me an ice pack? Just wrap some ice in a piece of cloth."

Kagome turned back to her project, "Yes, well, Sesshomaru is known for having a kick ass right hook. You have no idea how many times I've had to patch up Inuyasha."

Lord Uza laughed a bit, "I could imagine."

A small but noticeable 'feh' had made its way to her ears from the doorway. Obviously Inuyasha was being too stubborn to actually come into the meeting room. Oh well, it was a step in the right direction.

The servant she had talked to earlier was immediately there with the cloth and ice, as well as a bowl. Kagome, having done this more than once, placed the small but very cold package up to his cheek. Lord Uza immediately winced as the cold surface touched his face, "Stay still, your body is using up its demonic abilities to heal the poison."

"So why is it so cold? I've jumped in rivers and it was never this bad," he whined.

Kagome smiled at his lost expression, "I am guessing you have never experienced Sesshomaru's poison first hand before then?"

"Well, only when he was a pup but never anything like this," Lord Uza said honestly, "usually he's just beating up the recruits…not his allies."

Kagome rolled her eyes at his blatant lie. She had known Sesshomaru long enough to realize that the dog beat the crap out of anyone that he felt like beating the crap out of. Allies were no exceptions, "Sure, well go with that."

Lord Uza smiled, "I will never be able to get one past you will I? In reality we have all been subjugated to each other's beatings. I just wanted an excuse to see you, though the poison really does sting."

Kagome pulled away the ice pack from his face as she looked at the damage. It was rare to see a demon of his caliber bleed, let alone have a lasting would like a bruise. After she looked at it a bit longer she leaned in and blew lightly on the dark patch of skin. Already it was turning yellow.

"Is there a reason you human women do that?" asked a voice from behind her.

Kagome turned around, past the broken furniture, to see Lord Malik glaring at her. Damn, for a minute there she forgot that there were others in the room. It really was bad when she was in her 'mother mode' as the others called it.

Kagome immediately turned her attention back towards Lord Uza, knowing that her back facing the irate lord was a sign of disrespect, "It helps the burn when we are hurt. Let's say I am watching my friends kid, and they fall down and scrape their knee-" but she was cut off by Inuyasha.

"And then you give them whatever they want, including the last bowl of ramen," he grumbled, but loudly enough that he obviously wanted her to hear him.

She immediately picked up the bowl of cold water, another thing that the servant had brought her, and chucked it at him. Being Inuyasha he of course dodged out of the way as he smirked at her.

"Damit Inuyasha, Shippo was tired and hungry, would you just leave him alone?" she yelled at him as he decided to turn around and head back to where ever he was before.

"Don't walk away from me!" screamed Kagome as he waved goodbye nonchalantly with the back of his hand, knowing exactly why she didn't want him to walk away. Damit, he was getting her back for earlier. That was why he was willing to come here with her. How did she not see this?

"If I get lost I'm taking your ears and leaving!" she yelled again.

He stopped mid-stride and turned on the heel of his foot. It made her want to throw another bowl of water at him as she watched the smile on his face grow, "Kagome? Who gets lost in her own house losing her way in such a large castle as this? Naw, that would _never_ happen."

And then he was around the corner.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid dog.

She turned back towards the once again amused Lord Uza as she pressed the ice filled cloth back to his face, "Oh, Shippo is so getting away with his next prank on him."

"I take it there was more to your story," said Lord Malik angrily, "or are all human women incapable of finishing their tales."

Kagome tried to roll her eye's but found she was just to annoyed to make a public display of it. In fact, she was so annoyed that she almost missed that Lord Malik was pushing for the reason behind her actions earlier.

"As I was saying before the dog side of Inuyasha made itself known, if a kid were to fall down and scrape their knee, I would want to help. When a flesh would opens it is getting air and bacter-" she paused when she realized what era she was talking to. They didn't really know about bacteria and all the molecules their world contained now did they, "dirt, yes dirt. Both get in there and then it hurts. When that happens it burns so we blow on it to keep the burn from hurting us. It isn't incredibly helpful but it is better than letting someone just sit there."

"But he doesn't have a flash wound," said Lord Shiho.

"Well, I guess it becomes instinctual after a while. It's like kissing one of Shippo's wounds when he gets hurt. It doesn't actually do anything but it usually makes him and me feel better," she reasoned.

"Well thank you Lady Kagome, you are magic worker now aren't you?" he said while smiling.

Kagome pulled away the cloth to see that the bruise was gone. Kagome smiled to herself, "All done, you are free to do whatever you like just don't pick another fight with Sesshomaru over here."

Kagome stood up as she placed the cold cloth into the servants hands, "Are you sure you don't have other bowl for me to put it in? I would hate for your hands to get cold."

The demon servant bowed respectfully, "I do not get cold like you humans do, I will be fine."

Once the servant was gone she turned back towards Lord Uza as he felt his face, "How did you do that? My demon abilities were not able to heal it but you were? When I called for you I did not actually think you would able to do anything."

Kagome smiled as she called the small badger demon from outside. He was perhaps nine, maybe younger. It was always so hard to tell with boys. She watched as his little clawed fingers reached out to her own, his tail flicking anxiously as he looked up wide eyed at the powerful men before him.

Once his hand was in hers she walked over to the now open door, "That's a secret. You really think I am going to let information like how to neutralize Sesshomaru's poison go for free?"

"You what?" asked Lord Shiho as he stepped forward in disbelief.

Kagome rolled her eyes at his face.

"That is impossible. No ice and water could heal something done by Sesshomaru," he stated, "you had no salve, no powder and no spells."

"Could it have been your priestess powers?" asked Lord Malik.

Kagome shook her head while laughing, "Did you sense any powers? Besides, they would have fried Lord Uza in a heartbeat, and that is with a trained priestess."

With her peace spoken Kagome walked the boy through the door and began to head in any direction that seemed familiar. Luckily the little boy knew his way around the castle better than she ever would.

Take that Inuyasha.

Once they were around the corner the boy looked at her, "How'd you do it?"

Kagome stopped and bent her knee's so she was at his level. She looked him square in the eye as she spoke, "Promise not to tell?"

"Promise!" he yelled.

Kagome quickly looked around the area to make sure no one was looking, "I used my priestess powers."

His eyes went wide, "But you didn't hurt him."

Kagome smiled as she stood up and began to walk down the corridor once again, "That whole thing about priests and priestess's only hurting demon's is a myth. We just have to be a little bit more careful when healing one of your kind than we do a human."

"But they didn't sense it!" he argued again.

"Well of course they didn't, they were too busy silently arguing with each other to notice. It wasn't like it takes up a large amount of energy to heal a bruise. I've had a lot of practice at it too. Mothers are very particular about knowing where each bruise came from, so I have been doing this for a while. I am very good at being discrete about it too. Unfortunately it almost is the extent to what I can do. I can shoot a bow and sort of create a barrier, but that is about it."

"I didn't hear them arguing," the boy countered again.

"Well, Lord Uza was too busy rubbing it in Malik's face that I was there to really pay attention to anything I was doing. Lord Malik was a little too busy hating Lord Uza. Lord Shiho was trying to keep the peace by calming his aura and Lord Sesshomaru was too busy, well, if I didn't know any better I would say pouting."

"Lord Sesshomaru does not pout," said the boy with a frown.

"Sure he does. He was mad that Lord Uza woke up as quickly as he did," argued Kagome back.

The boy opened his mouth and then closed it again like a fish. Then he smiled, a true smile. Kagome was so happy to see it she nearly picked the boy up and kissed him on that cute little button nose of his. It was so rare to see these children smile.

"I like our Lord's, they are funny," he said suddenly.

That was it, demon's may not be big on touch but they were just going to have to get over that while she was here. Without another seconds notice Kagome had the boy in her arms and was caring him on her back, "I agree, they are amusing aren't they?"

The boy seemed startled by the sudden movement but smiled again when he realized he didn't have to walk. Of course, Kagome couldn't exactly see the smile but she could practically feel it in his next sentence, "Can we play a game? You said you would teach us a game!"

Kagome was about to answer yes but was cut off by the sound of very fast and very loud footsteps. They both immediately looked at each other and then ran over to the nearest window when they heard shouting.

The gates were suddenly opened as a platoon of men came stumbling in.

Kagome tried to suppress her shock when she recognized the group of demons and one very human friend of hers. Miroku was back, and he had brought a few present with him as well. From the looks of the giant wasps one group of demon's were carrying, Naraku now knew about the alliance.

Damit, she had really been hoping that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru could have a had a bit more time to get used to each other. How in the world was this going to work now? They could barely be in the same room as each other, how were they going to join forces?

Immediately she was having the boy show her how to get to the front gates and they were rushing down the halls.

* * *

Firevixen73- So how did everyone like it? Please review, they make me all fuzzy inside.


	6. Just Another Day in My Castle

_Recap:_

_Kagome was about to answer yes but was cut off by the sound of very fast and very loud footsteps. They both immediately looked at each other and then ran over to the nearest window when they heard shouting._

_The gates were suddenly opened as a platoon of men came stumbling in._

_Kagome tried to suppress her shock when she recognized the group of demons and one very human friend of hers. Miroku was back, and he had brought a few present with him as well. From the looks of the giant wasps one group of demon's were carrying, Naraku now knew about the alliance._

_Damit, she had really been hoping that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru could have a had a bit more time to get used to each other. How in the world was this going to work now? They could barely be in the same room as each other, how were they going to join forces?_

_Immediately she was having the boy show her how to get to the front gates and they were rushing down the halls._

* * *

Kagome was standing in front of her long time friend as she dabbed at the cut above his right eye. It was bleeding everywhere and she couldn't get it stop. Then again, that area always did bleed more than anywhere else. Kagome reached into her trusty yellow backpack, that the children had grabbed for her, as she searched for her cotton swabs and alcohol.

"This could sting," she said sorrowfully.

"Can you just use those wonderful healing powers of yours?" asked Miroku as he watched the smelly liquid being poured onto the white blob.

"I would but we have an audience and I would like to have at least one thing about us that they don't know," she countered as she placed the white ball of fluff on his still bleeding cut.

She winced in sync with him as the burning sensation made contact with his skin.

Miroku shuttered, "That does make sense."

Kagome took a package of gauze to wipe up the excess blood, "So what happened?"

Miroku sighed, "Naraku happened. We were leaving the village when Kagura and those wasps attacked. They almost devowered the village but I was able to place up a barrier while the soldiers took care of what they could. Unfortunately…Kagura was able to get away yet again."

"So Naraku knows," she said while blowing on the wound. Slowly Miroku's eye fluttered close as he let his friend do what she was so incredibly good at…taking care of others. The two missed the new arrival of Lord Malik watching them in the background as Kagome took care of her companion.

"I am afraid he does," sighed Miroku when she stopped.

"Well that just sucks now doesn't it," pouted Kagome.

Miroku took her hand in his own, "I know you were hoping for some more time with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha but I am afraid that just is not going to happen. If Naraku discovers that the brothers are not truly working together then…" he let the sentence finish itself in silence.

Kagome's eye's remained downcast as she thought of the more than likely consequences. She knew all too well how their hatred for each other could be used against them. God, don't even get her started on Touga. She could only imagine how he was going to use all of this against her.

"Enough of that, I want my kiss now," spoke a smiling Miroku as he tried to lighten the mood.

Kagome picked up the remaining gauze next to her and threw it at him, "Then you better go find a mirror."

"But sweet Lady Kagome, you always give Shippo as kiss when he is hurt," he said flirtatiously.

She turned towards him, "Yes but Shippo isn't a lecher pretending to be a monk."

Miroku put on a face of shock at her comment, knowing he could never fool her but was always still trying, "I have been trained in the priest ways since I was a little boy. There is nothing fake about what I do."

"Yet you still grope everywoman you come across," she said while frowning.

He walked up to her, pulled her into a sideways hug with his arms around her shoulders, "Dear Kagome, you know it is the curse of my hand. There is nothing I can do about where it wanders."

By this time they had an audience and Lord Uza and Lord Shiho stood next to the pair, but far enough away to not stop the upcoming show.

Slowly, unashamedly, Miroku's hand began to creep towards Kagome's lower back. If he would have been watching his friend's face he would have stopped. If he would have been watching the tick forming on her forehead he would have known that she was already in the mood to kill and not to tempt her. If he would have been looking at the dark circles under her eyes he would have noticed that she was edgy from her lack of sleep. If he was a mind reader he would have known that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father was following her around annoying the hell out of her. Furthermore, since he was a ghost incapable of feeling pain and could not be hurt, the human trying to grope her would do just fine as an outlet.

Suddenly his arm was twisted and he was spun around, flipped over the petite woman's shoulder and was on his back while looking at the midday sun glowing above him.

He let out a grunt as he looked at the figure above him, "Been working out have we?"

Kagome refused to acknowledge the urge to stomp her foot in annoyance, "Just feel lucky I did not use the other move Sango taught me. You know the one where I throw you through a tree?"

Miroku closed his eyes in contempt, "Thank you?"

The shadow above him moved and he could hear her small steps walking away from him. When he opened his eyes another shadow was before him. Silver hair obstructed his view, "How are you doing Inuyasha?"

"You are an idiot," said the barefoot man as he helped his friend up, "Even I can tell she's been edgy lately."

Miroku released Inuyasha's arm as he regained his footing.

"She looked like she needed to get her mind off of, well whatever she has her mind on. I thought a good laugh would do it," said Miroku as he brushed the grass out of his hair.

Inuyasha just shook his head, "Oh, people are laughing all right. You just had your ass handed to you by a girl."

Miroku laughed at that in his own carefree way, "I did didn't I? Perhaps we should not allow our sweet and innocent Kagome to spend quite as much time with Sango anymore. I did not even see that move coming."

* * *

Kagome stomped over furiously towards the wounded batch of soldiers who had ran in with her friend through the gates. It had taken her forever to figure out where they had been taken. Turns out it was halfway across the courtyard in some little training outpost where a lot of the men slept. Maybe Miroku could sleep out here with them, he acted like some drunken soldier enough of the time to fit in.

Seriously, what was Miroku thinking? It had been…six months since the last time he had groped her and he suddenly starts it back up again now? Of all the times? Men were a race she just knew she would never understand.

Kagome looked up as she saw the various soldiers looking at her expectantly. Kagome briefly wondered why they were all looking at her like that. It was like they were waiting for an attack. Did she really look that furious?

"Of course not little one, you and I both know you are over your friends antics," spoke a voice her right.

Kagome immediately swung around so she could properly face Touga. She was about to open her mouth in retort but stopped when he cut her off, "Do not forget that you are surrounded by soldiers Kagome. They cannot see me like you can. They will think you crazier than they already do."

Kagome's mouth hung open like a fish. They thought she was crazy? Kagome looked around towards the guards who had stopped what they were doing in order to watch her properly. One demon had stopped sharpening his sword, while another was holding a barrel of hay in his hands, just looking at her carefully.

What did they think she was going to do, were they expect her to attack?

"They are confused why you are here. You are a women, a human one at that, who is a priestess that just walked into their barracks alone and with no protection. Let us also not forget that little threat you placed on their men. Miroku was hurt, they are wondering how you will respond," answered Touga to her unasked but thankfully answered question.

"So…" she started while looking at the surrounding men, "…where's Hiko?"

She watched as one of the men gulped.

Oh, she got it now. They really thought she was going to hurt him since Miroku had been injured. For a minute Kagome debated having fun with the situation but decided against it. No reason to create more enemies than necessary, no matter how much stress it would relieve.

"I promise I am not going to hurt him," she sighed dramatically, "One of you can even come along to make sure, alright?"

Slowly one of the men who had been sharpening his sword stood up and walked over to her. He was about 5'11" if she had to guess and a bear demon from the looks of it. He had coal black eyes, a huge build and dark brown hair that reached mid back. The most interesting thing though was the bear claw marking on his right cheek, "Alright priestess, come with me."

Kagome waited until he was done before she took a step towards him, knowing that all the men around her were in defensive positions in case she decided that she really was angry. Slowly she followed the demon as he maneuvered his way through the tents and campsites, Touga of course silently walking behind her. She tried desperately not to trip, knowing that she had an audience of about 200 watching her every move.

"So, was he hurt?" she asked while trying to break the silence.

"Hiko?" asked the older demon, "No, just scared shitless. He's still young and hotheaded."

"So he did something reckless?" asked Kagome.

"Yes, he challenged you. Made him rather timid on the field. I heard he would not leave your friend's side in fear of what you would do to him," said the demon as he turned another corner.

Kagome tried to suppress her laugh but she knew without a doubt it had slipped out. Thankfully none of the 200 demons watching her said anything about it.

The man stopped in front of another tent and pushed the cloth indicating an opening, "He is inside…trying not to shake."

"Thank you," finished Kagome sincerely as she stepped in, knowing that the man would be waiting outside. It seems that everyone was still rather weary around her. Then again she imagined her own reaction would be the same if the situations were reversed.

She stepped into the tent to see four cots and an indoor fire pit. There were a few pieces of raw meet hanging above the pit on a stick, as if waiting to be eaten. On the third cot sat a man with wide eyes as he looked at her in disbelief. His two friends who were standing around him were just as shocked.

"Man, we at least thought you would give him time to run," said one of the demon friends standing next to the white Hiko.

Kagome wanted to laugh at them. She had never really had anyone afraid of her before and she suddenly realized why Inuyasha could be such a hard ass. Watching people squirm was rather hilarious.

"Would you calm down, I'm not here to hurt you, alright?" she said with a smile.

She walked up to Hiko and stopped when she stood a few feet before him. She could see his look of disbelief, as well as his small quivers of fear, "I wanted to thank you. I know protecting my friend was the last thing you wanted to do. Hell, you are trained to hate people like him and me. I know he would have been a lot worse if you would not have been there and stuck by his side. Miroku is rather…limited with those wasps."

Hiko continued to stare at her, "What?"

Kagome sighed dramatically, "Aren't demon's supposed to have like extra good hearing or something? You are a demon right?"

Hiko continued to stare at her, "Did you just…ridicule me?"

"Well you are being a rather big baby about the situation," she said mockingly, while trying to get him to lighten up. She hadn't realized she had scared him that badly.

"I am not," he stood up fiercely but sat back down when she turned her gaze back towards him. "I just, you said something that really made me…think."

"Sorry, I did not realize something like that was rare for you…the thinking part. You looked rather intelligent at the time," she began again.

Kagome mentally counted off the seconds until Hiko blew up at her. Her time in this era had taught her that demons did not like being ridiculed or made fun of. If anything was going to get a head strong reaction out of him it would be an insult. She needed a reaction; she needed to know what really happened on that field. Kagome thought about the broken face of the man she had seen when entering the hut. She also needed for him to prove to her that he was alright.

Kagome continued to silently wait until she realized that Hiko was not going to say anything back. In surprise, Kagome looked over at him. His head was down and his friends were still looking at her in surprise.

"What happened out there?" asked Kagome when she realized something was wrong.

Hiko barely managed to look her in the eye as she asked her question, "Can you really not have a pack?"

Kagome was caught off guard by the question and was not sure what to say. What did he mean by that? Not have a pack? She had one, Inuyasha and the others, they were her pack. Kagome discreetly looked around the room for her ghost. He was sitting on the farthest away bedding from her as he watched the scene.

"He means a family little one. Children, a mate," said Touga with a frown.

Kagome closed her eyes as she tried to figure out how to answer. She was not exactly a _normal_ priestess after all.

"Yes, and no. For most like me, there is not an option. They are to serve everyone around them but themselves in order to stay pure of this life's greed. Under no circumstances are the people they are supposed to protect allowed to be injured. They become a priest or priestess's life, their obsession. Supposedly, a family could easily get in the way of that," she started.

"Miroku and I are different, but similar. He will most likely never have the chance to have a family because of the curse placed on him by Naraku. If we do manage to get rid of that monster then yes, Miroku will have a family. This is at a cost though. Miroku has all but defected from the other monks of his religion, as his father and grandfather did. He would not be welcomed in most priest gatherings."

"I, on the other hand, was not raised as a priestess since my parents did not know what I was. I never had those restrictions placed on me. If I survive this war with Naraku they will be though."

Hiko's friend stepped up to her timidly, "So you cannot have a family either."

"Maybe, it really depends on what I end up doing with my life if I survive. My home is not like the villages here. They would never make me do that, but if I was to stay here with Inuyasha and all of my friends then it is a very likely possibility."

"I kept thinking about that when those things attacked. I saw the way you talked with the priest. He is your brother by everything but birth. I could not help but to think what I would feel like if anything happened to my own pack," he looked at her, "I am sorry that I let him get hurt."

Kagome moved over to the demon on the cot as his friends moved a bit to accommodate her, "Thank you for doing your best. I could never ask anything more of you or any of the men you work with. I am sorry I had to say those things to you, I never thought that you would actually take them to heart. And you know, give Miroku some credit. He is rather good at taking care of himself. Believe it or not all of us have a few survival tricks up our sleeves."

"Hiko!" yelled a sudden voice that made all of the occupants of the room jump.

Suddenly the man who had escorted Kagome to the tent walked into the small area. Behind him came the same, eerie, annoying, squeaky voice Kagome hated so very much. Before the man could speak Kagome cut him off, "That stupid toad is going to get his voice box cut out if he doesn't shut up. Could his voice be anymore annoying?"

Jaken scurried into the room, "Hiko, Lord Sesshomaru has demanded you-" he stopped when he saw Kagome, "Wench! What is your fowl self doing here. Is it not enough that Lord Sesshomaru graciously offered his home to you? Now you must infest his soldier's quarters with your stench as well?"

"God, Inuyasha really needs to hit you with the wind scar," she murmured as she stood up, dusting herself off from the shuffled dirt from the ground.

Jaken glared but Kagome matched it evenly. No stupid frog was going to scare her, that was for sure. With his stupid suck up voice, and squeals, and stupid stick that sets things on fire. He should really just go back to the marsh or something.

Kagome was too busy contemplating how stupid Jaken was to notice another presence step through the small opening.

"It seems you enjoy trying my patience miko," said the smooth and aristocratic voice she knew so well.

Kagome cringed. It was like the gods hated her or something. Could she just _not_ get away from this man? Touga was probably laughing at her predicament too. He was sadistic that way after all. It was a family trait, one that he lovingly passed on.

"Hello Sesshomaru, is there something I can help you with?" she asked as politely as she could muster.

"Get out of my soldier's room, or do you wish to present yourself to the world as a whore?" asked the man smoothly.

Kagome turned her eyes into daggers as he finished his sentence. Maybe if her eye's really were daggers he'd leave due to blood loss. Then again he was a demon. Daggers probably wouldn't do that much damage. Great, another stupid demon with stupid magical powers. Well at least he did not have a stick that shot fire…oh that's right, he had finger tips that created acidic whips. _Soooo_ much better.

Kagome, being her, decided that there was not any way she was going to win a straight up argument with him. Not today anyways, so, instead she was going to throw him the biggest loop that even he would be knocked of his high horse…cloud…thing.

"Do you use some type of special soap for your hair? Sango and I are in a disagreement about it, maybe you could shed some light," she said casually while moving to sit back down on the bed. The one where Hiko had previously been sitting on but had gotten off of as soon as his Lord had stepped into the overcrowded tent.

The room was silent as what she had said was processed. Jaken was the first to speak.

"You insufferable woman! How dare you ask such a question of our great and mighty leader!" he screeched.

"Maybe we could get Inuyasha some. Then you guys could be like twins!" she said with fake enthusiasm, "You two already look so similar anyways."

Kagome had the sudden urge to run very, very far when she heard the growl coming from Sesshomaru's direction, but somehow she stood her ground.

"Hiko, tell me why you left your men to fight the insects," barked Sesshomaru at the now trembling demon.

Kagome once again cut in, "Oh, he was protecting Miroku for me."

Sesshomaru turned back towards the priestess he was beginning to hate as much as he hated Inuyasha, "Explain."

Kagome tried to even her breathing as she spoke. All this demonic energy was starting to give her a headache, "I asked him to protect Miroku if the squad was attacked. He was just following orders, so don't blame him. It was my fault."

"His orders are to come directly from me miko. He knows that," snarled the demon Lord of the West to the time traveling priestess.

Kagome bit her lip, she did not mean for Hiko to get in trouble, "I am sorry. This was my fault, I will take the blame for him."

"You? You a human woman? You can do no labor, you cannot make up his work for him. What could you possibly do in order to make up for this injustice?" squawked Jaken yet again.

Kagome thought about this for a moment. There was not anything she could really do in order to make up for it. She was not battle savvy or anything of the like. She could not do manual labor and even if she could, she was not exactly good at taking orders. An idea struck her, "I'll cook and mend his squadron's clothes while I am here."

Sesshomaru scoffed, "You already cook, if that is what you name that disgusting thing you call food."

Kagome let loose a growl, "I assure you that I don't know what you are talking about, my food is amazing. You just suck as a food taster."

"My senses are better than yours wench," he argued.

"Obviously a blind cat demon has better senses than you Sesshomaru," she countered.

Silence resonated throughout the tent as the silent battle of wills stretched on. Kagome was not about to give into this fight. It was her fault Hiko was in trouble and she had every intention of getting him out of it. After a few more minutes Sesshomaru turned towards Hiko, "Remember you follow my orders Hiko, the woman holds only the power she believes she has in her pathetic mind. Other than that she is useless."

With that the demon Lord was gone, off to torture another innocent creature Kagome was sure. Probably a squirrel or a bunny. Jaken was right behind him in his usual dirt kissing manner. He would probably transcribe the torture for future entertainment.

Kagome stood up and once again looked at the pale faced Hiko. It seemed that the color she had managed to bring back earlier was once again gone. Slowly she walked up to him, careful not to scare him into cardiac arrest, "Don't worry, he's just pissed at me. He has big issues with someone undermining his authority," she said while silently patting his back.

Once that was done and over with Kagome began to walk out of the tent but was stopped once again by Hiko, "I almost died."

She spun around on her heels and looked at him while rolling her eyes, "One, no you did not. He just wanted to scare you. Two, in case you have forgotten you protected my pack member from Naraku and in doing so allied yourself with me." Her look quickly turned into a smile, "I don't let things happen to my allies."

With her peace said she was gone, out to look for the rest of her friends. With a quick nod she glimpsed at the same older demon who led her here. He was still standing by the closed tent flap. After she was able to get the proper directions from him Kagome managed to find the correct path out of the demon filled encampment.

As she was walking out she managed to calm herself down…somewhat. Fighting with Sesshomaru came naturally to her, he was just that difficult. She now believed it to be a demon trait, not just a family trait. Honestly, dogs were obedient. They sat and stood when you said so, so why was Sesshomaru so difficult? He needed obedience training or something because every time she talked to him she just got more and more frustrated.

Kagome ran her fingers through her hair.

So far, the bantering thing was not working with him, which sucked cause it was so easy and natural for her. This meant one thing, she needed to change tactics. Just super, she had to start from scratch with Sesshomaru.

It was like the universe knew exactly how to make her day.

* * *

"Kagome, you're an idiot," yelled Inuyasha as he threw yet another recruit into a tree.

"Why do you feel the need to call me names Inuyasha?" she asked while taking a bite of her sandwhich.

"I don't know, why do you feel the need to be an idiot?" he threw back at her.

She glared, "Stop being mean."

He laughed, "Stop being an idiot."

Kagome looked over towards the surviving members of the regiment, "Maybe instead of attacking him individually you should I don't know, work together?" Kagome then turned her attention back to her friend, "He was out of line yelling at Hiko like that."

"He was doing his job," huffed Inuyasha as he dodged a punch and kicked another guy in the gut. "If one guy is acting out it throws the whole team off, its why I hate it when you don't listen to me."

Kagome scoffed, "But your plans always turn out worse off when I _do_ listen to you."

The dog eared half demon side stepped another kick and tumbled to the ground while tripping another demon in blue, "Just shut up."

"Just shut up," she mocked in a fake Inuyasha voice. She turned back towards the recruits, "No, you three attack from the right about a second and a half after the other while you six come at him from behind at about two seconds after the other."

Her attention was once again on her friend. From her perch in the tree she was able to see the battle perfectly on the ground as Inuyasha flawlessly dodged the newer guard members. They had tried to execute her plan but were failing miserably at it. Inuyasha had a lot of work cut out for him if he was going to turn them into any type of useable warriors.

"Well what should I have done then?" she asked Inuyasha as one demon was thrown to the ground and did not get back up. Kagome peered closer to see that the man was still alive and breathing, he was just to beat to get up and try again.

"Not go see this moron Biko in the first place," he countered.

"Hiko, and he isn't a moron, just a little cocky," she frowned as she watched him show off, "not that you know what that is."

"Confident and arrogant are different," he said while flipping a guy over his shoulder.

"Yeah, one makes you look like a self-absorbed joke while the other just makes you look like a jackass. Speaking of jokes, watching this fight kind of is one."

Inuyasha flipped over the last of the recruits and looked up at his long time friend, "Gotta see what they are good at."

Kagome quickly climbed down from the tree with a huff and walked over to Inuyasha, "So what are they good at?"

He scratched his head, "Charging recklessly."

Kagome smiled, "So you all should become fast friends then."

"No really, shut up."

* * *

Kagome quickly dried her hair off with her towel. It had been over a week since her last shower and this had felt absolutely amazing. Sure the water was freezing and the tub was small but it felt so good to be clean. Actually clean, where things were not sticking to her and dirt was not coming out from under her finger nails.

After her hair was wrapped in the appropriate bun she quickly put on her pajamas. That was nice too, actually wearing sleepwear and not clothes. Kagome looked down at herself. She wore a loose pair of stripped pajama pants and a tight cotton tank top.

They felt so clean and nice.

People should wear pajamas instead of regular clothes. If she ever ruled the world, that would be her first law.

With that done she quickly stepped out of the small bathing room and shut the door behind her. She took one step and quickly found herself face to face with the floor. Kagome twisted her body just enough to see Kilala lying down on the ground. What?

The cat demon stood up and walked over to Kagome while purring. After nuzzling her a few times, and rubbing every inch of Kagome's visible body, the cat started kneading Kagome's hair. Since Kagome was still on the ground this was a rather easy task for Kilala. Kagome, deciding that there was no way sweet and innocent Kilala could have purposefully tripped her, stood up and picked up her long time friend.

"Guess you have been feeling neglected haven't you?" she whispered while scratching the small feline behind the ears.

There was suddenly a crash to the right of her and Kagome spun around to see Shippo up against the wall, "Shippo?"

Kilala's eyes opened when she heard the name. Shippo looked up at his mother and frowned, "How did she get here before me?"

Kagome looked at the cat and the fox that were currently glaring at each other. Was there something that she was missing? Disregarding the situation Kagome walked over to her son and held his hand, "Ready for bed?"

Shippo nodded as he walked with her towards their small room. He'd get there next time, that was a promise. He looked up towards his mother as they sat down on the small make shift mattress, "Can I sleep next to you mommy?"

Kagome smiled, "Sure thing Shippo."

* * *

Inuyasha was livid and she had no idea why. The moment she stepped into the room she could feel Inuyasha tense up. Seriously, what was his problem? Okay, so she understood that having a morning meal with Sesshomaru was not part of their plan but Lord Uza had requested them there. He did not have to show if he really did not want to. So why was he all huffy?

Kagome quickly sat down next to him and elbowed him in the gut when he did not automatically speak to her, "What is your problem? If anyone should be grumpy it is me, since I did not get to sleep again last night."

Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms, "It aint nothing your puny human head should worry over."

Before she could protest Kilala, who had been stalking her since she first left her bedroom this morning, was once again on her lap. Kagome looked down and wondered when the feline had entered the room. When she started petting Kilala another growl was heard. She looked up at Inuyasha to see him staring intently at Kilala as she sat in her lap.

What? Did Inuyasha just growl at Kilala? Before she could ask the main doors opened and Kagome's curious nature was momentarily dissuaded. Lord Uza was the first to step into the dining hall and greet them, his long time friend Lord Shiho was right beside him. Lord Malik was next but he of course gave no hug. Sesshomaru was the last to arrive and he automatically went to his seat.

"It is good to have decent company for breakfast. Those two," Uza motioned towards Sesshomaru and Malik, "are nothing if not a boring conversation."

Kagome giggled behind her hand, "You are a trouble maker Lord Uza."

He winked at her, "Just stating the facts."

"The woman is anything but decent company. Decent company does not smell like vermin," scoffed Sesshomaru.

Kagome glared but it was rather hard to do an intimidating glare when the master of intimidation was the one you were currently at war with.

"Tell me human, is it your race or just you who is idiotic enough to eat lunch with a room full of those with demon blood, as they eat the flesh of your own kind," he tried.

Kagome gulped, but pushed the bile in her throat down. They were not eating human flesh, she knew that, he was just trying to bully her out of the room. "You know where I come from they say bully's like you just didn't get enough attention as a child."

Again Sesshomaru's growl was known to her. It seemed that was his new method of communication whenever she was in the room.

The food was brought out for the demons but Kagome settled for her tea. She did not think the raw meat that the others were eating would settle well with her stomach. After a light conversation with Lord Uza and Lord Shiho, Kagome decided that this was a rather pleasant morning. In fact, if she would not have been having to ignore Lord Malik throughout the entire sitting it would have been perfect. Idly, she wondered if Touga would settle for ignoring instead of brotherly love. Either way, they weren't trying to kill each other right?

She glanced to her right to see Inuyasha staring at his half empty plate, and then to her left to see Sesshomaru glancing out the window. She was attempting to ignore that fact that they were purposefully sitting on opposite ends of the table. This could be considered getting along right?

She went to pick up her cup of tea when a sharp spark shocked her fingers. Kagome automatically yelped as the pain of something powerful coursed through her body. By the time the pain subsided and she could feel her fingers again she had the audience of the entire table. Kagome, not knowing what the hell just happened looked over at her cup. It appeared rather normal, like an everyday feudal era cup but…it had shocked her.

She looked up once more to be met with Sesshomaru's curious gaze. What the hell was his problem?

She warily pushed her cup towards the end of the table with Inuyasha's chopsticks and looked back at the other occupants of the breakfast table. Inuyasha, knowing that his friend was not always the smartest person around was the first to speak, "Kagome, maybe we should get you some training, you just attacked yourself with your own powers."

Kagome's mouth dropped as the situation hit her full force. She what? That was impossible, she barely knew how to call on them in the first place, let alone redirect them towards herself. Suddenly it hit her. Sure, she did not know how to do that but a certain someone _else_ did.

Kagome quickly stood up and looked at Inuyasha, "I'll be right back, I have to umm….check on something in the kitchen."

Kagome nearly ran out of the dining hall, after pushing Kilala off her lap, but somehow restrained herself. Once the doors were shut she quickly turned the other way, away from the kitchen. Hopefully she could find an empty hallway to yell at herself in.

The second she made it around the corner and found an empty hallway she turned on her heel, ready to yell, already knowing he would be there. "What was that for?"

"It was just a little reminder that your mission is to get them to get along, not ignore each other," he said while checking his nails.

"You-you are not allowed to shock me!" she yelled furiously.

"Sure I am," he countered, once again amused at her outburst.

"No you are not, it's against the rules!" she tried again.

"There are rules? No, I don't think I like that. I am getting rid of the rules," he said while smiling.

"You-you are not allowed in my head either!" she was going to get him to agree to at least one of her conditions if it killed her.

"I agree to that one, mainly because your head is very confusing. I could not make sense of anything. Your heart on the other hand, is incredibly easy to read," he said while circling her.

Kagome was too shocked to really say anything back to that.

"Well, just, umm, stay out," even she had to agree in saying that that was pathetic.

Just as she was turning around in order to return to the dining area Touga's voice stopped her, "Sesshomaru is doing a patrol today. You will cover the recruits for Inuyasha and he will head out with Sesshomaru."

Then he was just gone.

Kagome was left with her mouth wide open and eyes dull in disbelief. He could not just order her around like that. It-it was against the rules! Quite furiously she stomped back towards the appropriate room and pushed open the doors. After a quick glance she found the room quite similar to how she left it. The only difference being that Inuyasha was talking to Lord Uza. Now there was a bit of a shocker.

"The boar demon would kill the wolf demon because wolves are pathetic on their own," countered Inuyasha.

"No, no my boy. The boar demon would lose undoubtedly," argued Lord Uza.

"Inuyasha, just say what you really want to say," she said while smiling. "They would be at a draw until a random dog demon would enter the scene and kill them both, thus being the best. Did I cover it?"

She quickly sat back down in her previous spot.

Inuyasha, used to how easily she picked up on a conversation nodded his head in agreement, "That I can live with."

He suddenly froze midsentence and glared down at her lap. Kagome, not seeing the problem, looked down to see Kilala once again on her perch. The familiar growl once again came from Inuyasha's lips. Kilala, noticing the growl immediately was on all fours, hair standing on end and hissing at the silver haired dog.

Kagome grabbed Kilala and pulled her away to the side where the two could not see each other. She glared at Inuyasha, he had never had a problem with Kilala before so she had no idea what was going on now, "What the hell Inuyasha?"

He stopped growling and looked innocently at his best friend, "What, she's getting cocky and it's annoying."

A servant girl quickly stepped forward and handed Kagome another cup of tea, this one being warm. While she was taking in her drink Kagome listened into the rest of the conversation Lord Uza was leading, "Are the new recruits taking to your teaching?"

Inuyasha smirked, "They're a bunch of sissies but I'll toughen them out. Those pups cannot even take a proper beating without whining about it."

Well there was an opening if she had ever seen one. Kagome was already angry at Touga, and now that Inuyasha was acting up there was no way she was in a good, friendly, let it pass mood. Kagome just had to cut in, "Cause you were so compliant when Sesshomaru gave you that black eye in your father's grave. Tell me again how you whimpered?"

Inuyasha turned on her immediately, "He's got poison, that stuff stings."

"Yeah, cause getting thrown through a tree doesn't hurt at all. I am just saying that you shouldn't be so tough on them. It hurts a lot more than I think you remember," she tried. Inuyasha tended to forget that although he was a half demon, he was stronger than most full demons they had come across.

He huffed, "You are such a mother. Gotta let kids get the crap kicked out of them once in a while."

Kagome frowned, "I agree, which is why I let Sesshomaru beat you up all the time."

He glared, "He does not beat me up."

"Your right, pummel is a much better word."

"Alright children," cut in Lord Shiho. He immediately sighed as he took in the situation, "It is like being back home with my nieces and nephews. You two fight like brother and sister."

Inuyasha and Kagome continued to glare at each other.

Lord Shiho rubbed the corners of his eyes, "What is the problem here?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha, and Inuyasha looked at Kagome. They immediately started saying their piece, determined to get it in before the other. Unfortunately they just ended up speaking at the same time so no one could understand them.

"The bitch needs to put that stupid cat down. She never listens to me and who the hell told her she could take a bath without telling me first!"

"He's so immature! Kilala was just sitting here, she did not do anything to him. What's his deal acting like a bully, it's starting to piss me off."

Kagome huffed as she stroked Kilala's fur and Inuyasha continued to glower.

Lord Shiho looked at his friends, "Did you catch any of that?"

Lord Malik sighed, knowing a sibling argument when he saw one, "He's mad she didn't do what he never outwardly told her to do and she's mad that he's mad at her for doing what he never actually told her not to do."

"So, sibling stuff?" asked Lord Uza.

Lord Shiho turned back to the pair, "I have found that sibling squabbles tend not to have anything to do with the actual sibling you are fighting with but they instead provide an outlet for something else. I do not think you two are actually mad at each other but have no other way to vent your frustrations."

Kagome huffed, well of course she was not actually mad at Inuyasha. It would take a lot more than a few mean comments to get her mad at him. She was really furious at Touga but didn't know how to get back at him. Kagome peaked out of her eye to watch Inuyasha, but she really didn't know what his problem was. And where did he get off, being all mad at her for taking a bath? She tried to pick up her tea, unfortunately the stupid thing shocked her again. She immediately dropped it and it crashed to the ground, liquid going everywhere. Stupid Inuyasha, stupid Touga, stupid everything. The only thing she wasn't currently hating right now was Sesshomaru, which was stupid in itself. Oh, wait, she did hate him. He was a good for nothing demon too.

"Did you just shock yourself again? You are such a horrible priestess it's amazing," argued Inuyasha.

"Bite me," she growled.

"Is that a request or an order, god knows you love ordering people around."

"I think you are confusing me with yourself," she said angrily while stirring her previous, and un-spilled cold tea with the spoon.

Lord Uza, seeing an opening in the dispute quickly cut in, "Maybe you two should-"

Kagome screamed.

Red, bloody and juicy meat went sliding down her body as the contents of Inuyasha's half eaten plate were tipped over and onto her chest. Kagome looked down to see little drops of blood cascading down her shirt, the slices of meat quickly following. She could feel them slithering down her body, sticking in places that raw and beyond juicy meat should never touch. In her lap stood an equally angry Kilala, fur raised and hissing like a madwoman.

She tried to ignore Sesshomaru's smirk, she really did. It wasn't there, on his face, as the human-no, it was _animal_! _Animal_ meat ran down her body!

Inuyasha pressed his nose face to face with Kilala's, "Don't do that again."

Kilala's hair slowly went back to normal as she recognized the alpha tone in Inuyasha's voice. Fine, she would listen for now. But the moment Inuyasha left was the moment she took her perch back. Kilala slowly got up from Kagome's lap and headed over to the nearest window where she could properly clean herself off at. Kagome, seeing the whole scenario was completely baffled. She looked at Inuyasha who was now sitting peacefully on his pillow.

"Did you just yell at Kilala after you dumped your breakfast on me?" she asked.

Inuyasha opened one of his eyes and glanced at her briefly, "I wanted her to leave, so I made her leave."

Kagome wasn't sure what to think of that, "So let me get this straight. You were fighting with me in order to get Kilala off my lap?"

Inuyasha crinkled his nose, "And you smelled like cat. She was getting cocky and forgot her place. Public humiliation is one of the best ways to deal with an irate pack member who thinks that the rules don't apply to them."

"W-What rules? She sits on my lap at almost every meal!" Kagome yelled in disbelief. There had to be something she was missing.

Inuyasha's glare hardened, "Not after a bath she doesn't."

"So you poured meat all over me to get Kilala off my lap?" again she asked in disbelief.

"And to get her smell off you," he corrected.

Kagome massaged her temples as she rested her forehead on the table, "It's like this argument makes sense to you or something."

Inuyasha, who saw nothing wrong with the situation stood up and pointed her to the bath house she was at earlier last night, "Go get cleaned up, I'll wait outside until you're done."

Too out of energy to care to argue, Kagome stood up and peeled what was left of the sticky substance off of her. This was worse than demon guts she quickly concluded. After the last visible layer was removed, she did not want to track dead animal around with her, she headed back towards the bath house to get clean.

She quickly stepped in and disrobed, throwing herself into the cold water. After a good thirty minutes of scrubbing, she did not want to remember the feeling of juicy dead animal running down her body, she finally got out. She of course had nothing to wear other than a towel Inuyasha had left at the base of the door but that would have to do for now. She wrapped the semi fluffy object around her body and stepped into the servant's hallway. Before she could react something heavy was dropped on top of her head.

After pulling the offending object off her eyes she looked to the right to see Inuyasha standing there…almost but not quite smiling. His red outer shirt was off, which she assumed was what was on her head right now, and he only wore his white inner lining for a top.

He inhaled deeply, "Much better."

Not wanting to walk around in her towel, even in the servant's quarters that were maybe sixty feet away from her 'room', she quickly put on the fire rat robe.

She looked at her friend, "You're weird."

"You'd get it if you were a demon and had super senses like mine," he said arrogantly.

She smiled as she took in the moment, "I was lying you know, you totally kick his ass."

Inuyasha did something incredibly rare at that moment. He reached over and gently pulled Kagome into a sideways grip. It almost felt like a hug. As quickly as it happened he let her go, "Let's get you back to your room and in real clothes."

Kagome smiled as she buried herself in to the manly smelling jacket, "That would be nice."

After she was back in regular clothes, a pair of low rise jeans and a white t-shirt, she made her way back towards the dining area. When she stepped in she saw that Lord Uza and Lord Malik had both left. That left only Sesshomaru and Lord Shiho. Sesshomaru and Lord Shiho immediately turned in their direction when the door was opened, a look of confusion on both of their faces. They were of course staring at her; everyone always seemed to look at her with that baffled look. Though it was an odd one to see it on Sesshomaru.

Kagome suddenly felt the same painful tingling at the base of her fingertips, though it was not nearly as bad as it was before. Understanding the reminder sent from Touga she quickly stepped forward, "Sesshomaru, what do you do on your patrols?"

Sesshomaru, who had previously been trying to ignore everything to do with her, aside from the random bursts of staring, lazily changed his gaze towards her direction, "Nothing your mind would comprehend."

She frowned, "Were you born an ass or did you just work that hard at it?"

Lord Shiho immediately stood up in order to interfere, "Lovely day Lady Kagome, care to go for a walk with me?"

Kagome continued to hold the gaze of Sesshomaru who had immediately snapped his neck around to properly intimidate her. "Know your place woman."

She was about to fight back, in her own undermining little way, but then something clicked. "It is like no one has ever stood up to you before," Kagome realized. It was not a question, just a statement that suddenly made sense to her.

This was going to be even more difficult than she originally imagined. He was nothing like Inuyasha. Inuyasha, who had to constantly stand up and defend himself felt at home with her banter. Hell, he welcomed it; it was what he was used to and knew how to handle. It was one of the reason's they were always at each other's throats. For Inuyasha it wasn't fighting, it was instead one of three things. It was his way of playing, communicating, or his way of calming down after a stressful situation. Sesshomaru was nothing like that. He took her, by now natural arguments and was ignoring every attempt she made at communication. She needed to try something different, something that would appeal to him.

Another realization suddenly hit the girl from the future. Sesshomaru was a dog demon, a full blooded canine. Where she came from dogs were more curious and single minded than cats ever were, no matter the common sayings from her time about curiosity and cats. "Where I come from, there aren't any demons you know."

It was a long shot, one that she probably should not be taking, but hey, this was all new to her. She had tried working with Sesshomaru like she had learned how to work with Inuyasha. Insults and play fights did not go over well him like they did the younger brother, it was time she tried another tactic.

"Kagome, that's probably where you should stop," Inuyasha tried to cut in.

Though Kagome still had more to say, she could tell that she had caught the demon Lord's attention, "Actually, that is probably why I have such a hard time listening to you. I never actually learned to fear demons. Inuyasha was the first one I had really ever spoken to and that was on my fifteenth birthday."

"Fifteen years with no demons, that is impossible woman. There is no place, I would have heard of it," he argued. "You are lying to this Sesshomaru."

"You are a powerful demon Sesshomaru, one of the strongest I have met. I know you can tell when someone is lying to you," she tried while absentmindendly playing with the spoon in her cold up of tea. Her seeming lack of interest was probably the best way to keep him.

He continued to look at her, "There are ways to cover up deceit."

"None of which I know," she said while tapping her spoon on the side of the cut, then placing on a nearby napkin. She could not say too much more without giving herself away, that and Inuyasha was about to pull out his own hair in frustration. Sometimes she thought he was more protective over her time period than she was.

Slowly she stood up and faced the door, "Inuyasha has been to my home as well, if you feel like asking him about it. Though, even you will have a hard time getting anything tangible out of either one of us. I mean, your good, but you're not _that_ good."

She was almost out the door when she heard, "Inuyasha, you shall accompany me on patrol today. It is time you did something useful. The wench will be joining us as well."

* * *

**Firevixen73**- I am not sure if I like this chapter or not but I know I needed to post so here you go. Sorry if there are mistakes, I did not have time to recheck everything. I also have another story posted as of today. It is a _**one shot**_ and another Sesshomaru/Kagome pairing. It is called _**Work Problems**_. If you have time check it out. I hope you like it!


	7. I Told You So

_Recap:_

_He continued to look at her, "There are ways to cover up deceit."_

_"None of which I know," she said while tapping her spoon on the side of the cut, then placing on a nearby napkin. She could not say too much more without giving herself away, that and Inuyasha was about to pull out his own hair in frustration. Sometimes she thought he was more protective over her time period than she was._

_Slowly she stood up and faced the door, "Inuyasha has been to my home as well, if you feel like asking him about it. Though, even you will have a hard time getting anything tangible out of either one of us. I mean, your good, but you're not that good."_

_She was almost out the door when she heard, "Inuyasha, you shall accompany me on patrol today. It is time you did something useful. The wench will be joining us as well."_

* * *

Kagome was so grateful right now she could dance. She had gotten out of patrol by pointing out that Inuyasha's recruits needed looking after. Inuyasha had immediately backed her up, saying how she would slow them down and Sesshomaru would be stuck with a human all day. What had really saved her though was Lord Shiho, apparently he and she had a lunch date that neither of them had ever spoken about. Good old Lord Shiho, trust him to know how to lie to a dog demon and get away with it. This of course meant that she was stuck with a bunch of chauvinistic demons but…she'd take that over Sesshomaru any day.

It was moments like this that really made her consider about thinking her plans through a little bit more.

Kagome briefly looked at the men as they lined up. She was going to try a different tactic for training than Inuyasha had. They had tried brute force now it was time for teamwork. You know, the thing Inuyasha claims he never needs but always uses. This was also a great time for her to try and develop her powers, and who better a teacher then the great Dog General himself. Kagome glanced to her left to see Touga standing three feet away. "You're sure this is how I'm supposed to do it?"

Touga grinned, "It is how I was taught."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "In case you forgot, _demons_ and _human's_ are different."

The demon smiled, "Yes but _demons_ and _priests_ are not as different as you think. You see, they were originally created to complement each other. Demon's possess the brute force and your kind are the…peace keepers. This is a perfect time to increase your powers as well as your control. We have all day and no distractions. This is a fairly easy task as well, most demons can do this by their first few years."

Kagome couldn't believe she was about to do this. She looked back over at the lined up demons as she contemplated her situation while rubbing one of her bare feet up against her left calf. Then again, she needed the training as well, no matter what Inuyasha wanted. Kagome slowly closed her eyes and focused on the energy emanating from her body. Instead of bending to her will like Touga _promised_, it fought back, and hard. She felt a sudden zap emulate throughout her body and she quickly took a step backwards in order to re-gain her bearings. It wasn't working. Her energy was to wild, it didn't _want_ to be controlled. Kagome growled in frustration, demanding to know why the gods gave her broken powers, or maybe she was the broken one. This was why priestess spent years meditating. They learned how to be in command of their powers. Her energy just did not want to cooperate; she was going to need to try something else.

Kagome briefly contemplated telling Touga he was a sucky teacher and that she was leaving but changed her mind. He was after all, working with an incompetent student. She took in a deep sigh and tried to concentrate on things that kept her happy, instead of in the miserable state of knowing she was never going to be able to do this.

So Kagome focused on the little things that most people never paid attention to. The smell of the trees, the grass between her toes, the sunlight on her face. It was breathtaking.

Kagome suddenly felt something light and almost comforting make its way to her senses. It was…the wind. It was framing her face. A thought suddenly stuck her as she remembered her grandfather's ramblings about everything having some form of spiritual energy. Maybe if she could not control her own she could work with Mother Nature's. Once she felt the familiar pull of spiritual energy she again focused her thoughts. She began to manipulate said energy that was flowing around her, the trees, the air, everything, into a solid object. In her mind she pictured something unbreakable. It could withstand weather, swords, poison, anything.

Kagome opened her eyes as she saw a light pink barrier surrounding her. It was small, maybe three or four feet around her, but it was hers. Well, sort of. While it completely surrounded her it was not entirely solid, and it was swirling if you could believe it. It was like the wind itself was staying put just to protect her, but only as much as something as uncatchable as wind could stay in one place. She had never seen a barrier like it before but she was not going to complain about it. Kagome silently beamed. She looked towards the men, "Alright, first team to break the barrier gets to sleep in an extra hour tomorrow."

The first man stepped forward and swiped the barrier with his claws. Kagome watched as the wind picked up speed, almost solidifying before her eyes. It moved with the man's attacks, protecting her with each new swipe he made. He was pushed back but Kagome noticed that her barrier had shrunk down some. The second and third demons were quickly on her as well. Maybe she shouldn't have given them such a powerful incentive.

"Concentrate little one. Remember control," came Touga's voice.

Kagome again concentrated as she took advantage of the great Lord InuTashio Touga's teachings.

* * *

Kagome was beat as she fell ungracefully on her makeshift mattress which was really just a floor. It had taken her all day but she finally managed to make an unbreakable barrier. Mind you three demons were allowed to sleep in the next day but it was well worth it for her. While she doubted the barrier could stand up against someone of Sesshomaru's caliber it was better than nothing.

"That was exquisite little one. You have made me proud today," bantered the spirit.

Kagome rolled on her stomach as she took in all that was Touga, "You have been around a lot today."

He smiled, "You needed me today."

Kagome rolled back on her back, "I'm beat, could I please get a decent night sleep tonight? I think I deserve it."

Touga smiled as he floated next to her, "I agree to that one little one. You more than deserve tonight off."

With that confirmation Kagome quickly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Kagome could have cried in joy, she had actually slept! For the first time in…four weeks she had actually woke up feeling slight rested! It was like Christmas had come early. No horrible headache pounding its way across her temple, no need to snap at random people and no need to faint in exhaustion due to sleep deprivation!

Kagome briefly looked out towards the already risen sun and smiled. God, she hadn't felt like truly smiling in such a long time. Nothing, and she meant nothing, was ruining her day today. Kagome briskly walked towards the kitchens, practically skipping.

"Lady Kagome?" squeaked a small voce.

Kagome spun around to see one of the little girls she had met earlier walking up to her. Brown hair, dark brown eyes and a long and very furry tail sticking out from the hole in her kimono. From the looks of it she was a squirrel demon. Kagome smiled as she walked up to the young demon, "What is it sweetie?"

The girl blushed, "Umm…can you um…make my clothes like yours?"

Kagome was momentarily stunned. She had been nothing but ridiculed for her clothes when in this time so the request was rather odd. Then again…she looked down at her outfit. She no longer wore the miniature sailor skirt and see through shirt. Now she wore a pair of low rise jeans, black tennis shoes and a green racer back shirt. Her mother and her had eventually caught on that jeans were cheaper than hundred dollar school uniforms.

"It's just…the boys say I can't play with them cause," the girl started to sniffle, "cause I'm to girly and my dress will get dirty, and I'll trip over it and cry and that-" she didn't finish her sentence because she was crying in Kagome's shirt. Absentmindedly Kagome rubbed the little girl's back. Kagome more than remembered the days when boys were mean like that. Inuyasha was just _barely_ getting over it.

She pulled the little girl away and smiled, "How about you spend the day with me? My son Shippo will love the company. Maybe later on tonight we can work on some play clothes for you instead of that kimono."

The girl beamed as she wiped away her tears with Kagome's help, "I'm Aya."

Kagome smiled as they walked towards the kitchen. Aya was more than happy to have someone to talk to, and boy did the girl love to talk. She was in the middle of telling Kagome a story about how this owl demon had tried to kidnap her as a baby when she suddenly went quiet. Kagome looked up to see that they had stepped into the kitchen and everyone was looking at them.

"Don't worry about them," comforted Kagome.

"But what if they yell at me for talking," whispered Aya as the two of them walked over towards Kagome's counter.

"Then they can yell at me. You're a kid; they shouldn't have any problem with you acting like one. Now, I'm thinking some sugar cookies would be great for today," laughed Kagome as she dismissed the problem with a wave.

After a few minutes of batter preparation and mixing Kagome let Aya take a lick from the bowl. She smiled, "That is so good! Can I have more?"

"Sure," said Kagome as she licked her finger, "the batter is better than a cookie any day."

Aya smiled, "Where did you learn how to make all of these strange foods?"

Kagome internally laughed at her memories, "My mom is from here in Japan but my dad was born in the States so-"

Aya cut her off, "What are the States?"

"Umm…" Kagome had temporarily forgotten what time period she was in, "It's a very faraway place."

Aya's eyes widened as she took another bite, "Farther than the mainland?"

Kagome nodded, "Much farther. When my dad came to visit my mom instantly fell in love, but knew that traditional Japanese meals weren't going to cut it. Every girl around was offering him that. So instead she spent night and day learning how to cook this type of food, the food he would have eaten at home. One bite and he was hers."

Aya was too wrapped in the story to see that Kagome had stolen another bite of cookie dough and thus, going out of turn. "Wow, I like your mommy."

Kagome reached over to ruffle Aya's dark brown hair, "Me too." Kagome grabbed the bowl and jumped off the counter she had been sitting on. She effortlessly grabbed Aya's hands and lifted her down as well. "We have to go give some of this to Miroku, it's his favorite."

"The purple guy?" she asked while also grabbing his lunch.

Hand in hand they walked down the hall, "Yes the purple guy. You should ask him some time to tell you a story; he's an amazing story teller. I think it comes with the gift of lying," she said absentmindedly.

"Does he know about stories that girls beat up the mean boys?" she asked excitedly.

Kagome giggled, "I'm sure Sango or I could persuade him to think up one. It's amazing what a good hit on the head can do for the male species."

Aya looked serious as she spoke, "I should remember that."

Silently they made their way down the hall and towards Sesshomaru's study. Miroku, being the only one out of the two of them who didn't constantly pick fights, was declared mediator. While not traveling he would speak for Inuyasha and his pack while here. Today was one of those times. Loudly, Kagome knocked on the door in front of her. While yes there were demon's present Sesshomaru was more than likely to 'fail' to notify Miroku about her presence if given the chance.

"Lady Kagome?"

Kagome open the door and stepped in. Miroku sat on a pile of cushions sipping his tea while Sesshomaru and Jaken were on the other side of what looked like a desk. It was hard to tell since it was so close to the ground. "Hi Miroku, I wanted to bring you lunch and a snack."

Miroku silently looked at Sesshomaru, "Now is hardly the time to eat Kagome. I will eat at lunch."

"…It's two in the afternoon."

"…Oh…have I been in here that long?" he asked.

Aya stepped up immediately, not even realizing her Lord was in the same room as her, "We made dough! It's really good, but Lady Kagome says that you cannot have any until you eat your lunch."

Miroku's eyes widened as the small girl held up the bowl, "Kagome! That is not fair!"

Kagome took the bowl out of Aya's hands as she went back into mother mode, "You need to eat properly before you get any type of sweets from me."

"But-" he started, but Aya, being a girl and as such quiet often wants to play the 'mother role' cut him off.

"No buts mister purple man. You need to eat right," she said while stomping her foot.

Miroku looked shell shocked, "You have a mini-me now? Why can't I have one?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Go to a brothel, you'll find plenty," she said playfully.

"You wound me, my dear Kagome," he said while discreetly trying to grab the bowl that was now back in Aya's hands. Unfortunately he was not quite as smooth as he thought he was.

"Mister purple man! That is cheating!" yelled Aya as she and the bowl both hid behind Kagome's legs.

Kagome, seeing an opening for the little girl to maybe have some fun today took advantage of the situation, "Oh no, now he's really hungry. You better run before he eats it all."

Miroku immediately caught on as he winked playfully at her, "I'm going to eat all the cookie dough."

Aya panicked as she realized the purple man was going to eat it all and there was going to be none left for her. Somewhere inside her she knew that the nice purple man would leave some for her but…he might forget to. Without a moment's notice she was down the hall and Miroku was right behind her. Kagome, after eventually hearing Aya's laughing squeals headed around the corner, turned back towards Sesshomaru and Jaken.

"Sorry, she's been dep-" she started but was cut off by Jaken.

"Wench! No one interrupts Lord Sesshomaru!" he screeched.

Kagome absentmindedly started talking to herself in anger, "He did it again? Why does everyone insist on calling me that? And you know, I swear if Inuyasha calls me bitch one more time I'm tying him to a rock and throwing him in a river."

"Woman, you are once again talking to yourself," said a smooth voice.

Kagome turned back towards her current situation, "Bad habit. Again, sorry about that. He should be back in about twenty minutes so…"

"My Lord, this Jaken, your lowly servant, still needs to discuss the servants with you," he said loudly, once again cutting her off.

Kagome immediately found herself interested in the conversation, so she let the interruption pass. During her time here many of the servants had warmed up to her so she now knew quite a few of them.

"There are only a few changes. Mizui and Rika will be working in the kitchen this week, also serving, and I was thinking that the blonde demoness should be in the gardens," he tried.

Kagome couldn't help but let loose a loud scoff. Mizui and Rika work together? Not likely. Ashika, the blonde demoness, work outside? Where she could get dirty? Fat chance of that.

"Hisho can work with the blonde in the gardens," grumbled Jaken while he tried to ignore Kagome.

Again Kagome scoffed.

"Hama can continue looking after the wench," he inserted needlessly.

Kagome tried not to make a face at that comment. The woman was a beast; Kagome swore it up and down.

Kagome looked up to see Sesshomaru rubbing the temples of his forehead absentmindedly. Obviously he could care less about what Jaken was saying but at the same time knew that the staff needed to be overseen. Kagome decided maybe she should give him a break; she was after all, in a very good mood today.

"You would be better off placing Mizui and Rika apart. Mizui just found out that Rika slept with the demon she liked in order to get back at her for taking Rika's raise. Ashika cannot stand anything to do with the outdoors or dirt in general so her best use would be indoors and _away_ from Hisho. He has a huge crush on her so he will spend most of the day gawking instead of working. You stick to your plans and it will leave you with two incompetent workers outside and two incompetent workers inside. And we all know how you _love_ incompetence," she finished while she pulled out a rice cake from Miroku's lunch box.

Jaken quickly turned on her, not that he was ever on her side in the first place, "I know what I am doing wench."

Kagome's glare turned to ice, "I'm starting to get sick of people calling me that."

"Then you should leave the presence of people who do so…wench," smirked Sesshomaru as he relished in her anger.

Would it be too much if she threw something at him? Like her shoe? Or Jaken? What about that stupid sword he's always harping about? No, he'd probably be all perfectly perfect and catch it or something. Did he have to be _such_ an ass? "You-you…"

"I see that pretend village of yours knows nothing of the proper usage of grammar…wench," he goaded again.

Was he…patronizing her? "You-"

"Yes, me," he finished while leaning down to sign a few papers. Mainly the ones Jaken had brought for approval of for the schedules. In doing so he was showing his blatant disregard for everything she had just said. "If you are done with your incessant screeching I have actual responsibilities that your pathetic little mind could never comprehend."

Kagome was furious. Here she was, trying to help him out like any good person was and he goes and acts all _him_. He was positively infuriating. Inuyasha was a frickin Boy Scout compared to this mongrel! The bastard had no right ruining her perfectly fine day!

"Fine! But you just wait, Mizui and Rika will be at each other's throats and…" she quickly glanced down at Jaken's parchment, "and Laski will cause more problems between them. She's a huge instigator! And Suri doesn't know the first thing about dragons! She'll be running back and forth between the fields to someone who knows what they are doing. Don't blame me when your whole castle goes crazy! You just watch!"

Kagome angrily stomped out of the stupid room fuming. He was such a, such a, god he was such a dog!

Sesshomaru continued to look out of the room in wonder as the miko so gracefully made her exit out of his study. He frowned momentarily as his half brothers scent radiated off her. It was almost as if Inuyasha were here with him in the room with the way the scent lingered. In fact, he had remembered yesterday morning quite well and was still baffled by it.

For all the time he had come into contact with his half brothers group the miko had always smelled like his brother, as if an extension. It was rather perplexing since he knew human's had a unique scent, just as everything else in the world. No flower smelt exactly the same as no human should. Yes, they all had the undertone of dirt and sweat but they were all unique by their own right. The miko was different. The whelp's sent clung to her like a second skin. More than once he had mistaken her for his half brother when entering a clearing. The past morning was different. She had the distinct scent of the fire cat surrounding her. Inuyasha's scent was no longer present and in continuation the woman's personal scent was not to be found anywhere. Then she had returned only to smell like the half breed yet again. It was almost like her body was…absorbing the nearest creatures scent and making it her own.

Deciding he had witnessed enough of the infuriating woman, Sesshomaru never thought he would ever meet another creature as aggravating as Inuyasha; he looked down at the parchment in front of him. He stopped mid breath as he scanned the names in front of him. Laski? Suri? They had not said these names out loud.

Sesshomaru quickly returned his attention back towards the open door, "Jaken, did the miko just…read?"

* * *

Kagome ran up to Inuyasha who was again beating the crap out of the recruits.

"Is that all you got? Kagome could run faster than this," he yelled.

Kagome finally reached him, "You know, just because you sense me coming does not mean you have to throw a random insult about me out into the world."

Inuyasha just smirked, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't need you around to talk trash about you."

"So glad I'm loved," she frowned while plopping herself on the ground.

Inuyasha, finally realizing his friend was upset frowned, "What's wrong with you now?"

"God!" she screamed now that he was paying attention, "I hate that stupid brother of yours! He's so infuriating he makes Naraku look good. It's like he takes a personal pleasure in making me hate him."

"Well, he probably does. He's sort of a bastard that way," finished Inuyasha lamely.

Kagome flew her head back so she could properly lay on the ground. She knew when she decided to be the buffer between the two that she was up for a fight but…how was it he knew exactly what to do to annoy her? Even Inuyasha wasn't this good. "He needs to die," she sat up abruptly, "no, not die, scream in agony for a good few hours."

Inuyasha chuckled, a real live chuckle, "You know, it's pretty amusing to watch you when you're angry…you know, when it's not directed at me."

"Shut up," she said while collapsing on the ground yet again.

"So what did he do?" he asked while signaling the troops to run another lap.

"What doesn't he do?" she countered.

"Well, if I know you, and I'm pretty sure I do, you were probably trying to help in that annoying Kagome way. He probably didn't take your advice, insulted you and now you have the joy of watching it blow up in his face," he finished.

Kagome was shocked. When was Inuyasha ever this insightful? "How-"

"Shippo was listening by the door," he slipped in loudly; glad to have finally caught her off guard. She watched as the famous cocky smirk only dog demons could properly reproduce arrogantly overshadowed his features.

Hell no. One dog pulling one over on her was enough, she did not need two of them.

Kagome was immediately on her feet, "You just wait Inuyasha! I'm taking those ears now!"

Inuyasha knew this fight well. He immediately jumped up and into the nearest tree. Once he landed he made a god awful face at her while smirking. "What? Your puny human arms can't get you up here?"

She contemplating sitting him but knew that she would be cheating. No, she was winning this fight fair and square. No magical necklace. It was at that very moment that an idea suddenly struck her; one that she probably should have ignored, but live and learn. If she could control the surrounding energy to make a shield, and Touga could control her powers to make a shock…maybe she could use the tree to do the same thing.

Quite cautiously she pressed her palms towards the base of the tree her friend was currently residing in. She again, ignored her own raging powers and concentrated on the spiritual essence of the tree and all it could offer her. The tree was different than the wind she had used earlier on in the week. The energy was different and it was more…sturdy. Before she had simply commanded the wind to do as she asked, like Touga had taught her, but the tree was being uncooperative.

She pulled her hand away. The tree, apparently, did not like taking orders. She suddenly thought of herself. She too, didn't like being told what to do. It was rather annoying. In fact, she was much more likely to do what someone wanted when they said please. A sudden idea hit her. Mind you, it was crazy but, she had already accepted that maybe she wasn't as sane as she believed herself to be.

She again pressed her palms to the trees. "Please help me teach Inuyasha a lesson in manners."

"Fucking shit!" yelled Inuyasha as he suddenly felt a powerful jolt make its way though his body. He landed with a thump on the ground, face first. Kagome was about to walk over and gloat when something caught her eye. She immediately dodged when the object went flying at her, thinking it was an attack. When she managed a glance she looked up from her position on the ground to see a tree branch swinging in the air, Inuyasha dodging every which way.

"You woke up a tree?" screamed a voice from behind her.

Kagome spun around, "I didn't mean to! Make it stop!"

Touga smiled a huge smile, "My little one _woke up a tree_! There hasn't been an awake tree since I was a pup!"

Inuyasha again dodged to the side as the tree branches continuously tried to catch him in its violent snare.

"How do I turn it off?" she screamed again as the tree nearly ripped through part of Inuyasha's torso.

Touga turned towards her, "It is trying to fulfill your request, whatever that might be."

"Lord Inuyasha!" yelled two of the fastest recruits. It seemed they had beaten the rest in the sprint and had seen Inuyasha in trouble.

"Oh, look, its backup!" laughed Touga.

Before they could even attempt to help the two demons were caught in the trees wake. They were immediately trapped and thrown up into the air where the branches repeatedly wrapped themselves around them in order to prevent escape. Eventually all but their upper faces and toes were covered in willow, hanging a good three stories off the ground.

"Oh, no more backup," laughed Touga even harder.

"I-I-" she tried but instead watched as a root came shooting out of the ground and attached itself to Inuyasha's ankle. The root pulled him crashing towards the ground and he landed with a large thump. The root seemed to grow as it overlapped itself over Inuyasha's body, continuously trapping him and pinning him quiet effectively on the dirt floor. Eventually the tree stopped moving and Inuyasha stopped struggling.

Kagome walked up to the regular old Willow and could feel that it was in the same state she had originally found it in, completely dormant. She turned towards Inuyasha, "I am so-so-so-so sorry!"

He was laying flat on his stomach with his arms at his sides, pinned to the ground by the root as he glared at her from the dirt, "What the hell have I told you about trying to use your powers!"

"You totally said not to. Again, I am so-so sorry!" she yelled as she ran up to his very still form. Absentmindedly she attempted to pull the thick roots off him.

"I'm thinking if _I_ can't get them off _you_ can't," he argued.

"I-I-could try to ask the tree to let you go," she offered.

Touga immediately started to laugh, "Please do, I cannot wait to see what it does next."

"Oh shut up," she growled at the invisible man.

"What do you mean shut up? I'm not shutting up! Look what you did!" Inuyasha growled back.

"Oh umm…I was talking to the tree. It was umm…laughing at your current predicament," she tried.

"Fucking piece of wood, and no we are not going to 'talk' to the tree again," he argued.

"Lord Inuyasha?" asked a voice from behind them.

Kagome turned as quickly as she could to find the new recruits standing there like they had just run miles, which they probably had. Kagome watched as their faces turned towards disbelief as they saw their commanding officer pinned to the ground by a tree. "Go down to the weapons division and get Korr. He's got these big spikes and doesn't talk much. Please? I need some super strength to pull him out and I really can't think of anyone else, well aside from Lord Sesshomaru-" she tried but Inuyasha's growl cut her off. She had the distinct impression that Inuyasha would not want her to call his brother.

The demon closest to her froze, "Did you just ask?"

Kagome nodded, "Of course I did."

"But we're lower rank, you don't have to _ask_ us to do anything," tried another demon.

"But it's always more polite to," she tried. Honestly, she couldn't understand why they were having a discussion about etiquette while her best friend was trapped by a hundred year old tree root.

Two of the men stepped forwards, "We'll do it."

Kagome smiled, "Thank you."

Kagome turned back towards Inuyasha, "I'm so-"

"Just shut up would you?" he growled.

"What happened here?" asked a new demon voice.

Touga was again the first to speak, "And the fun continues. My, my, little one, you certainly are fun to follow around. I do not think I even had this much fun while I was alive."

Kagome looked up to see Lord Malik walking up towards her. Oh great, just what she needed. What? Was Sesshomaru around the corner too? She prayed he wasn't, cause Inuyasha wouldn't talk to her for days if he was. "I may have sort of kind of done something I shouldn't have."

Lord Malik scoffed, "Like a true woman."

Kagome turned towards the two recruits, "I'm really-really sorry about this. I promise you I'll bake you something to make up for it."

All she heard were mumbles that she couldn't make out properly.

"Lady Kagome, you have a knack for getting in trouble," spoke the soothing mountain man voice she so wanted to hear. Well, it wasn't actually soothing seeing as how he barely spoke so his voice cracked in odd places, but still, it was comforting to her.

She turned towards Korr, "I swear I didn't mean for the tree to attack them!"

Korr's right eyebrow rose. All but Lord Malik made room for the oversized demon, "The tree?"

Kagome suddenly felt another wave of guilt hit her. She immediately looked down and started playing with her hands while digging her toes into the freshly uprooted dirt. "Inuyasha sort of made me mad and I might have asked the tree to help me teach him some manners."

Again the demon continued to wait.

Kagome swore she felt like a three year old caught with her hand in the cookie jar, "So it may have attacked him and anyone who might have tried to help him."

They watched as Korr took in the situation, "You do not want me to hurt the tree do you?" he asked disbelievingly.

Kagome's head snapped up, "Well no I don't want you to hurt the tree. It was only doing what I asked in some weird round about sort of way."

Korr shook his head and Kagome once again felt like she was being reprimanded.

"You are the oddest human I have ever met," silently he reached up, not even extending his full arm length and reached for the recruits. More gently than Kagome thought possible he unwound the tips of the bendy bark and hauled the two demons out of the tree's hold. He then turned towards Inuyasha and let loose a small yet very unexpected smile. "This is the one that thinks he can take care of himself?"

"Yeah, that would be the one. Thank you again by the way, we really owe you for this one," she said while shaking her head.

"Hey, this ain't my fault! The bitch is the one to blame! She went all crazy on me? And who the hell has heard of a priestess who can control trees!" he yelled.

"I have," said Touga gleefully.

"You know I hate that name! I swear Inuyasha, if this weren't all my fault I would sit you right now-" but she stopped talking when he was pulled even further into the ground thanks to his owe so fashionable beaded necklace. Her hands flew to her mouth, "Oh Inuyasha I'm so so-"

He cut her off as Korr pulled him out of the ground with his massive strength, "Don't even start Kagome. We're talking Ramen, for like a week!"

Kagome was immediately by his side checking for any visible bruises or cuts. "Ramen? For a week? That is totally un-nutritional…"

She looked at his dirt covered face as he glared at her, "…but totally doable. Ramen for a week it is."

"And two more fights with Sesshomaru for any day of my choosing," he argued.

"What? I am not agreeing to that!" she yelled.

"Let's not forget the tree you sent to kill me!" he yelled.

Kagome stopped as she remembered Inuyasha flying through the air through no volition of his own. She sighed in defeat, "Alright."

"Good, I am applying it to yesterday."

Kagome blanched, "What the hell do you mean _yesterday_?"

"We may have gotten in one or more fights while on patrol," he said while dusting himself off.

"Inuyasha! You cannot fight with him, he's our ally now," she tried to lecture but was cut off by Inuyasha's smirk.

"No talking. You can't comment because I applied them to _yesterday_," spoke Inuyasha.

Kagome immediately shut her mouth. Damn, he was right; she couldn't say anything about it. Inuyasha, figuring out he had actually won an argument with Kagome, smirked and signaled his troops to follow him for their break.

Kagome crossed her arms and defiantly yelled, "You know I'm no longer feeling all that sorry!"

He of course didn't answer.

Kagome angrily made a face at his manipulation and stomped in the other direction, more angry that she had been outmaneuvered than anything else. You know, this was all Sesshomaru's fault. He turned her perfectly good day into a perfectly rotten one.

* * *

Kagome aimless sat on her bed that night while trying to read one of her textbooks. She hadn't wanted to eat that night, seeing as Inuyasha would probably be there and probably bring up how she tried to kill him. He always was good at making her feel worse about something. It went right along with the pity trick.

"I still don't get why we're here. I think Inuyasha has gotten worse since he started hanging out with his brother," she mumbled.

"Oh, still on that one are we?" asked Touga as he walked through the opposing wall.

Kagome pushed her book to the side and rolled over on her stomach, "So what if they don't get along. They seem to be doing fine in their lives right now."

Touga shook his head as he rested his form on her pillow, "Oh yes, they are managing fine now, but what about Inuyasha when you leave? Or even if you stay, what about when you die? Unless you mate a demon you will not live as long as him and he will be alone. You both have come to the conclusion on your own that the friendship route is what is best for you, no matter what you might have once preferred. Eventually he will be left alone. Sesshomaru is much the same. He see's friends as a weakness and isolates himself because of it. His closest kin is Inuyasha but instead of getting past his fears he relishes in them. He would only continue down this path."

"You don't know that. Inuyasha has Sango and Miroku, even Shippo. And then Sesshomaru has…"

"He has no one," finished Touga. "Perhaps you have noticed Rin's absence?"

Kagome's eyes' lowered. She had but never brought the topic up, thinking it was not her place to do so.

"Rin was becoming important to him, so he rectified the situation and located a distant relative of hers. She is living in a small town about three days from here with family she does not know and does not want. I am sad to say that Sesshomaru has yet to visit her. My boy's life is at stake, and it is not just his happiness, or unwillingness to be happy, that concerns me. It is also the repercussions of these views. I have seen his future through a seer in the underworld. He will not die gloriously on some battle field, he will instead become old where his body will decay. He will die alone in this very castle. Honestly, I did not ask this of you just for my youngest son's happiness, but for my eldest son's life. I wish to give him at least one person, one thing that could perhaps change his outcome. I wished for you to save his life."

Kagome had nothing to say. Sesshomaru would die alone? With no children or mate by his side?

"Lady Kagome?" asked a familiar voice.

Kagome craned her head to the side to see Aya standing there, "Yes Aya?"

"Can you tell us a story?" she asked.

"Us?" questioned the miko.

Suddenly three heads popped around the side of the doorframe, Shippo right along with them. She couldn't help but smile, "Sure."

Somehow they all managed to squish into the lopsided bed, but only after massive amounts of shoving, punching and kicking. Shippo and Aya had ended up next to her. "Shippo? Are you okay with this?"

Shippo beamed a brilliant smile, "My momma is the most popular person in the castle, of course I'm okay with this!"

Kagome smiled in relief, "Alright then, how about a story about a demon warrior and his dragon tamer?"

* * *

Over the past few days Kagome's life had become somewhat routine. She would get up after a horrible nights rest and head over towards the kitchens, cook for a few hours, hang out with Inuyasha, glare at Sesshomaru, cook some more, hang out with Sango and Korr, feed Miroku when around and play with the children. If she was lucky she'd spend some more time with Inuyasha and maybe even get in an ice chilling bath. And of course, she forgot to insert the annoying ghost who refused to leave her alone. It was helpful though, when he would help her with her powers. While no more attempts with living objects had been tried, her barriers were getting pretty dang good if she said so herself. Today, she thought, would be no different than her already established schedule.

"Cow!" screeched Hama.

Kagome desperately tried to keep her cool as she turned around and smiled somewhat meaningfully at the beast that was Hama, "You rang you overgrown boar."

"I am a horse demon you idiot!" yelled the woman as she began to stomp over.

"Really? Because I know a horse demon and he is one of the most gentle loving creatures I have ever met and you Hama, are in no way related to him. In fact, to call you a boar would be an insult to all the boar demon's I have met," she argued.

"You pathetic-" bellowed Hama.

"Lady Kagome?" came from the doorway.

Kagome turned to see none other than Hiko standing before her, "Hiko?"

"Permission to speak to you Lady Kagome?" he asked formally.

Kagome, knowing it would piss the demon off even more, handed Hama her batch of sliced strawberries, "Sure think Hiko."

As soon as the door swung shut she heard the destructive sound of a bowl shattering on the ground. Hiko looked at her questioningly, "Will you get in trouble for that?"

Kagome just smiled, "Undoubtedly but it was worth it. Now what can I help you with?"

"Well…" he started as he lead her down the hallway, "some of the men remembered how you had offered Lord Sesshomaru to do our mending and wash. We are actually, in dire need of it if the offer still stands."

Kagome contemplated his offer. She wasn't all that busy and it wasn't like it would take all that long. It was one garrison right?

"We've talked and we are willing to train your son a bit as payment," he offered.

"You'd train Shippo?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, the fox demon. Though, I am sorry if I offended you by calling him your son. We have just heard him call you his mother before and assumed it was the correct title-" he immediately tried to apologize.

"No, it's fine. I'm just not used to demon's recognizing him as my own. I would be more than happy to do some mending if you are willing to take in my son." Kagome looked over at the hallway she was supposed to be walking down. "Shippo and I will try to come down later today but right now I have a breakfast to dread."

"Breakfast?" asked Hiko.

Kagome nodded her head, "With the other Lords. It's been three day's since I've had to speak to Sesshomaru and I can honestly say I am not looking forward to this encounter. I'm sure he's got something awful to say to me."

Hiko had no words for that. His Lord scared him a little too much for him to have an opinion on the matter. His heels clamped together and he pushed his arms to his side so he could do a formal bow, "Until this evening Lady Kagome."

Hiko turned around and left the hallway as he walked outside to his awaiting garrison. Kagome, unconsciously took a deep breath in, and slowly walked over towards the awaiting dining area. Slowly she stepped in. It seems as if all but Inuyasha were already present. Lord Uza immediately stood to greet her, "The Lady of the hour, now we can begin."

"Inuyasha?" she asked.

Lord Shiho spoke as he sipped his tea, "Sent a runner to say he is having too much fun with the troops and the early morning workout."

Great, she was supposed to eat breakfast here? Alone? "You could have started without me."

Lord Uza playfully shook his head, "And what type of Lord's would we be if we forgot a Lady such as you?"

Kagome tried walking over to her regular seat but was herded by Lord Uza towards a very different position. "No my Lady, you cannot sit on that side all by your lonesome self. You will sit next to your host, Lord Sesshomaru."

Kagome visibly made a face as she tried to turn around and argue, unfortunately his hand stayed on her back as he pushed her over towards the red cushion she had not seen earlier, "No really, I'm okay with being alone."

Lord Uza just continued to smile, "Please, it is custom."

It was only after Lord Malik's huff that Kagome realized that this was yet another one of their little tests. Great, now she was being put on show for everyone to watch. And why did it have to be Sesshomaru? She'd prefer Naraku right now when compared to him.

Quietly, and determined not to lose she slid in next to her 'host'. Of course she made a point not to look at him.

The food was silently brought out and Kagome kept her head down. What with Hama and Hiko on the forefront of her mind, she did not also want to contemplate Sesshomaru as well. Kagome smiled as Mizui handed her the bowl of fruit, "Thank you Mizui."

Mizui immediately blushed at the complement, "Anything else I can get you Lady Kagome?"

"No, this should be fine, thank you," finished Kagome as she took a bite of her food.

With a slight grimace she watched as the raw meat was brought out for the demons in the room. According to Hama's detailed description it was marinated in all sorts of various blood, human and demon, aged and spiced with specific seasonings Kagome had not asked about. Kagome was glad she was only ordered to provide for her and her friends, there were just certain things a person should never have to do.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Sesshomaru became, well, him. He knew she had a hard time stomaching the raw meat. He must have seen how she pushed away her own food. So why again was he noiselessly pushing his own plate closer and closer towards hers? Oh, that's right, he is a fricking bastard. She almost squealed when the raw meat he had at the corner of his plate overlapped her own plate. Oh god, the blood was dripping on her own food.

She quickly looked up at him and glared. He of course was to 'caught up in' Lord Uza's story to notice it.

"Lord Sesshomaru," squeaked Jaken as he walked into the room.

Kagome, taking advantage of the situation decided to pull a very bold move and elbowed her plate to the side with a hard thrust. The plate immediately made a hard impact with Sesshomaru's own dish and her fruit went flying on top of his meat. Kagome, extremely proud of herself decided to pull a Sesshomaru and ignore the glare he was surely giving her. When no one said anything she turned back towards her 'companions'. "I believe Jaken was speaking to you _Lord_ Sesshomaru."

He huffed, and yes she did feel the vibration of his growl, as he turned back towards Jaken, "What?"

Well point one for Kagome, and what was even better, he totally knew it.

"It is An-Un, he sort of…flew off," tried Jaken as he prepared for the inevitable kick to his head.

"Lady Kagome, your food!" yelled Mizui as she ran up to Kagome, a towel in hand.

Rika suddenly stepped through the door as she heard yelling. Mizui stopped as she looked across the way. Kagome could practically feel the lighting in the air as they stared at each other across the dining hall. Kagome knew that feeling surrounding her, the way that their demonic energy was colliding in waves. To them, no one else was in the room right now.

"Oh this isn't good," she whispered absentmindedly as she was reminded of the similarity between this stare down verses many of Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's.

"Whore," whispered Mizui. Somewhere in Kagome's mind she heard Inuyasha yelling 'bastard' at Sesshomaru.

"Cunt," whispered Rika in response. Yet again she heard the familiar voice of Sesshomaru about to attack Inuyasha while yelling 'half-breed'.

It was like déjà vu in female form.

Before Kagome could say anything the two were at each other's throats, scratching, yelling and rolling on the ground. The table became a battle field, one already coated in blood thanks to breakfast. It seemed to two were out for fresh blood as well if the razor claws said anything. A particularly nasty punch was thrown by Mizui as Rika was thrown towards the edge of the table. Kagome immediately ducked behind Sesshomaru in self preservation as utensils and plates went flying. She had already been doused in raw meat once. That was not happening again.

Kagome suddenly heard a large crashing noise as a very familiar two headed dragon decided to fly into the hallway, bursting open the once closed wooden doors. Suri, the poor water demon was right behind him, pleading the animal to stop, "Please Ah-Un, come back to the stables. Lord Sesshomaru is going to be very angry!" the girl almost wept.

Kagome peaked back around Lord Sesshomaru's front as her fingers further intertwined themselves in the loose fabric of his shirt.

"What, you want my brother too? Laski said you couldn't stop staring at him!" screamed Mizui.

She could feel Sesshomaru tense up at that last statement as he watched the girls tumble. Kagome was honestly too frightened to gloat about being right. When she said that house would go crazy she didn't actually think it would go quite to this level. She watched as Ah-Un landed and tore off one of the tapestry wall hangings while chewing on it. At this moment she was incredibly glad she was so short and Sesshomaru was so tall. She couldn't imagine how awfully angry he was right now. Hell, he hadn't even noticed she was clinging on to him yet.

She really should do something though. She was a fricking miko, solving disputes is what her kind did right? And it was obvious from Uza and Shiho that they were too busy trying to keep Ah-Un from eating their clothes and that Malik was unsuccessfully trying to pull the two girls off each other and Sesshomaru…well she wasn't sure what he was doing. He was sort of just standing there like she was.

Fine, it was up to her.

Kagome desperately tried to recall all that she had learned in the past few days. She needed to make a shield, no, three shields, all in a crisis situation which she had never done before. Kagome again called for help from the life force in the room and she could feel the spiritual pull, then something surprising happened. Her own, wild and untamed energy branched out and joined the cause.

What was it, jealous?

When she opened her eyes Mizui, Rika and Ah-Un were all in separate pink bubbles which effectively cut them off from the rest of the world, also known as causing more damage to somewhat innocent bystanders. "Well that was exciting."

Kagome quickly stomped up to Mizui and Rika, "Is there anything you two would like to say to each other?"

"Bitch!"

"Slut!"

"Enough!" yelled Kagome as she rubbed her temples, the shields burst to life as her anger grew, "Mizui, you cannot honestly tell me that you like this guy. He just slept with some random girl without a care in how it would effect you when he knew the two of you were staring something. Can you honestly say that you want to start a relationship with that? As weird as the situation is, you should thank Rika for showing you exactly what a scumbag this guy is. Okay, maybe not thank because she did screw you over, but obvious stop blaming just her. He had a choice in this too."

She turned to Rika, "Rika, do not punish the rest of the world for your self-esteem issues. You are very good at your job, we all know it. But throwing yourself to the nearest guy because you want to prove your worth and value to yourself and the girl who got the job you wanted is not the way to do it. Instead you should try to work even harder and prove that you can take a blow like this as a mature woman, not some adolescent."

She turned to the dragon, "You, stables, now!"

Ah-Un stopped chewing as the light around him faded. His scaly tale immediately went in-between his legs as he took in her angry voice. Both parts of the dragon knew that they were in trouble. "Suri, please don't feel bad, you know nothing about dragons. Please trade jobs with Hisho, Ah-Un loves him and you will still get to work outside."

Kagome let lose the hold her powers had on the two female demons as she sent them back into the kitchens where the rest of the staff were probably listening by the door, "Please get Laski."

Kagome tapped her foot impatiently as she absentmindedly started straightening up the room. She flipped the table back over and grabbed the five empty plates. On top of them she placed the left over raw meat which she doubted any of the Lords would eat. Kagome finally looked up when she heard the swinging of the door, to see a tall five foot eleven weasel demon step into the hallway. Kagome continued to pick up the food as Laski continued to wait. Kagome could feel Laski's nervousness continue to grow as Kagome refused to look at her.

Once Kagome had felt Laski had sweat enough she turned and handed the plates towards Laski, effectively pushing it into the woman's stomach. "Sesshomaru likes an efficient castle."

Laski nodded her head vigorously.

"One where servants do not try to cause problems between other servants because they too, like the much talked about male demon of choice," said Kagome sweetly while wiping her bloodied hands on the nearest napkin.

Laski's eyes went wide, "How did you know?"

Kagome just smiled, "It's a girl thing. He's not worth it though. You should go make amends with the other women while they are still in a forgiving mood…you should know that any guy who makes you feel ashamed about your actions is never worth it in the end. Perhaps that is a lesson you can share with Mizui and Rika?"

Laski's eyes began to water at Kagome's words. The demon, quite spontaneously, reached over and hugged Kagome in an abrupt fashion. Before Kagome could respond Laski had let her go and was already walking back towards the kitchens in a speed walk.

As soon as the door was shut Kagome turned towards Jaken, "Schedule please."

Jaken's face blanched, "You do not honestly think I am giving _you_ the castle rounds do you? You the insignificant human?"

Kagome just rolled her eyes. The toad, being as borderline OCPD as he was, probably had the schedules on him. She quickly reached over into his dirt smelling robes and pulled out what appeared to be three scrolls.

"Give those back!" he yelled. Jaken tried jumping for them but she held them above his head absentmindedly. The first one seemed to be a treaty, which she threw to her left. The second one appeared to be a love letter, which she could only guess he had confiscated from someone because…really? Him? The third was what she was looking for. At one glance she knew that this would not do.

This time she reached into her own pockets where she pulled out a Crayola marker that the kids were playing with this morning. She scratched out a few names, added a few more and used bright arrows to re-do the time slots. When Kagome was done she looked at one of the nearby maids, "You can post this new schedule."

"Umm…it has to have Lord Sesshomaru's signature," she answered timidly.

Kagome looked at the old schedule, which still had his signature, and then to the area the bright new version that was going to be drawn…she always had been good at art. Piece by piece she copied the neatly detailed signature that was Sesshomaru's until it was an almost exact replica of the original, only it was a bright red signature right next to the said original.

Kagome walked up towards the maid and gently placed it into the woman's hands, "All done."

"But…"

"Do you really want to deal with that again?" asked Kagome as she stepped away while walking backwards.

The servant looked down at the changes and then back at Kagome, then back at the changes. With one swift movement she scurried back towards the servant's door towards the kitchens and was gone.

"You insolent we-" started Jaken.

"You call me wench, bitch or whore and I will personally make sure Inuyasha's next Windscar is in your direction," and she didn't stick around to see the stupid toads response.

* * *

Kagome watched with pure fascination and joy on her face as a garrison of fifteen men chased her son around the encampment. They were currently determining his stamina and apparently they needed to swipe their claws at him repeatedly to do so. Hiko had frequently informed her that her baby would be alright, they just needed to see how he dodged and ran. Surprisingly enough, she rather trusted this group of men.

Kagome distractedly looked back down at her handiwork. She had become very good at patching up clothes over the past two years and was happy to say that the first pile was almost done.

"Kagome!" yelled Sango as she ran towards her friend.

Kagome looked up from her shaded perch under a tree as her best female friend huffed while sitting down next to her, "Hi Kagome."

Kagome giggled as Sango took a bite of the treats she had made for the garrison. Ever since her previous night of sleep she had felt oh so much better and way more tolerable, "Hi Sango, how's the dungeon?"

Sango just smiled, "The same, I feel like I am getting rusty on my skills though."

"Maybe you could find a group here to practice with?" tried Kagome.

Sango looked skeptical, "I don't know, they are demons."

"Please Sango, we of all people should know that not all demons are bad. I'm sure Hiko and his friends know someone who would be willing to learn and train with a demon slayer," argued Kagome with a smile on her face.

"Maybe…"

"Maybe nothing, we'll ask him now. Hiko! Hiko!" waved Kagome frantically at her new found friend.

The demon was immediately by her side, "Yes Lady Kagome?"

"My friend Sango is a demon slayer and has been feeling a little rusty lately. I figured since you were willing to break your schema of a priestess maybe you would try for her?" asked Kagome as sweetly as possible. No matter the face she put on she knew she was asking two natural born enemies to play nice. This would be a big step for both races.

Hiko seemed hesitant but in the end could not resist anything Kagome could ask of him, "There actually has been a squadron asking about you."

"How many on the team?" asked Sango swiftly.

Kagome smiled as Sango went into slayer mode. While Kagome had her mother mode Sango defiantly had her slayer mode. She was all about the fight, the battle tactics and possible unexplored maneuvers.

Hiko immediately caught onto the warrior in her eyes and latched on, the two now having something to bond over, "Twelve."

"Type?"

"Four air demons, one underground and the rest being land."

Sango smiled, "Maybe you can show me them?"

Hiko smiled awkwardly and led her towards an opposite field, though Kagome did notice that he did not hold onto Sango's arm like he did hers, or do the impromptu bow.

"Wenc- Priestess Kagome?" asked a voice from behind her.

Kagome briefly sighed and wonder what the toad could possibly want, "Yes Jaken?"

He slowly hobbled in front of her, "I need to…explain something to you."

Well that caught her attention. Kagome reluctantly, because the two of them did have a past, patted the blanket she was sitting on as a peace offering. He hesitantly took a step forward and sat down, though noticeably a few feet away.

"We-Priestess Kagome, my great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru is…overworked. You see, there are two parts to ruling a vast land like his. The part as a Lord and the part at the Lady. Sesshomaru can take care of the duties of a Lord just fine. He manages everything outside of the estate, handles treaties, officials, the troops, patrols and the like. He has a harder time with the other part."

Kagome blinked, "The domestic part right? Everything that happens at home. The schedules, the food servings, the cleaning, the animals and gardens?"

"Yes, though it is understandably so. By all means his Lady of the West should be taking care of such matters. Sesshomaru has yet to find a suitable mate though. Normally his mother would just handle those duties but she has long been gone from this castle and cannot take the burden off of her son's shoulders. I have tried to take over the position but…it is not what I am good at."

Kagome nodded. Though it was understandable. The only reason she knew how to do these things were because of her grandparents from her father's side. They were extremely well off and had made Kagome visit every summer up until the year she fell in the well. They had put her in every etiquette, and lady of whatever class they could find.

"Perhaps…you could take over it?" he asked quietly.

Kagome legitimately felt her lungs as they refused to take in any more air once they heard his request, "Did you just ask me to be Sesshomaru's Lady of the West?"

Jaken continued to look down towards the ground, "Yes, yes I did. You know how to read, which most demons have a hard time with, you are good with the staff for some unknown reason and all the soldiers love you, again for some unfeasible reason. Please, I cannot bare to be anymore of a disappointment to my Lord."

Kagome suddenly felt a weird feeling of…pity for the stupid toad. "I don't know, Sesshomaru and I don't really get along. I doubt he'd work with me. I really want to help, even I can see how stressed he is."

Jaken finally looked up at her. His eyes were big and almost glossy from the unshed tears.

She just couldn't help herself, "But maybe we don't have to tell him for now? Our little secret?"

It was as if Jaken was a whole new demon. He disbelievingly nodded his head in amazement that she had agreed, "I'll leave them in your room?"

Kagome smiled at the toad, "Just promise me the wench stuff stops?"

He stood up and nodded his staff once again in hand, "My Lady, I promise."

* * *

**Firevixen73**- I liked writing this chapter. I am happy to say that Kagome and Sesshomaru will begin to see a lot more of each other now. I have always thought that Sesshomaru and Kagome would never immediately spend a great amount of time together at first, at least until there was a reason for them to put up with each other, and now that they do there will be _way_ more interaction.


	8. Naraku Makes A Move

_Recap:_

_"Yes, though it is understandably so. By all means his Lady of the West should be taking care of such matters. Sesshomaru has yet to find a suitable mate though. Normally his mother would just handle those duties but she has long been gone from this castle and cannot take the burden off of her son's shoulders. I have tried to take over the position but…it is not what I am good at."_

_Kagome nodded. Though it was understandable. The only reason she knew how to do these things were because of her grandparents from her father's side. They were extremely well off and had made Kagome visit every summer up until the year she fell in the well. They had put her in every etiquette, and lady of whatever class they could find._

_"Perhaps…you could take over it?" he asked quietly._

_Kagome legitimately felt her lungs as they refused to take in any more air once they heard his request, "Did you just ask me to be Sesshomaru's Lady of the West?"_

_Jaken continued to look down towards the ground, "Yes, yes I did. You know how to read, which most demons have a hard time with, you are good with the staff for some unknown reason and all the soldiers love you, again for some unfeasible reason. Please, I cannot bare to be anymore of a disappointment to my Lord."_

_Kagome suddenly felt a weird feeling of…pity for the stupid toad. "I don't know, Sesshomaru and I don't really get along. I doubt he'd work with me. I really want to help, even I can see how stressed he is."_

_Jaken finally looked up at her. His eyes were big and almost glossy from the unshed tears._

_She just couldn't help herself, "But maybe we don't have to tell him for now? Our little secret?"_

_It was as if Jaken was a whole new demon. He disbelievingly nodded his head in amazement that she had agreed, "I'll leave them in your room?"_

_Kagome smiled at the toad, "Just promise me the wench stuff stops?"_

_He stood up and nodded his staff once again in hand, "My Lady, I promise."_

* * *

Kagome couldn't remember the last time she was so busy. It seemed everyone in the house needed her and it was beginning to drive her mad. Touga had thankfully laid off a little on the sleepless nights when he realized that even she couldn't continue to function the way that she was. Of course, that was until Inuyasha and Sesshomaru virtually killed each other three days ago over a battle strategy. Oh the joys of knowing homicidal demons.

And by homicidal she meant that they just _had_ to be out kill her.

In all actuality she did not know why she ever thought Sesshomaru silent. He had plenty to say with his multiple glares. They got more than enough across. How one person could ever have so many glares with so many different meanings she would never know. Maybe it was a demon thing because most humans had one, maybe two glares with their own distinct meaning. The first one would obviously be something close to anger and the second one being close to distaste. Sesshomaru on the other hand could write a whole book with his glares…you know, if glares could somehow be put on paper. Maybe like a picture book or something. On second thought, the children reading it would have way too many nightmares. Kagome was in the middle of contemplating this new found interest with Sesshomaru's not so silent treatment when she was interrupted by the sound of running feet.

"Lady Kagome!" yelled another voice from behind her.

She internally cringed. For a human hating castle, its occupants sure were around every corner waiting for her. She spun around slightly, "Yes?"

"Can you-" the maid was cut off as Lord Uza walked around the neighboring corner. He stopped mid-whistle and surveyed the situation. The maid was holding a handful of scrolls and had a distressed look on her face while looking at the priestess. Said priestess, who obviously wanted to do nothing more than leave the situation, looked at him pleadingly. Like a true man, he paused and then turned around; walking back towards the direction he came, whistling all the way.

Kagome could have hit him. That phrase about chivalry being dead was flat out wrong, because in order to be dead it had to have originally _existed_. She turned away from her possible escape, the one that had just abandoned her, and back towards the maid. "Yes?"

"It is the cleaning staff. There is a huge problem about who is working today. I guess three of the servant's families have fallen ill and the women left this morning to visit. It is awful timing, especially for three of our best to leave."

Kagome rubbed her temples as she attempted to straighten out the situation. Then it hit her. She looked up at the demon, speculation in her eyes, "Demons can get sick?"

The woman before her paled just enough for Kagome to notice the change, "Well, technically yes. It is very rare for something to come along that can affect us. I doubt that the family members are truly sick though."

Kagome continued to survey the information, "So they just wanted some time off? That does not sound like anyone in Sesshomaru's staff. He is more than willing to let go of anyone that does not want to be here, you know that."

The woman slowly nodded, "Honestly speaking Lady Kagome, this is not the first time the excuse has been used. It is a kind of formality to say 'sick' when one means injured. It is a way of bowing out of humiliating losses in a fight among your kin's peers."

Kagome listed to the whole situation before she said anything. When the woman was done Kagome tried not to sigh. Demons were way to prideful, it was going to be the death of them. And being a girl who actually knew what the future held, it was a more than likely possibility, "Alright, ask if anyone else can help take over. In the mean time move Rika from the kitchens to help make up for the difference. Laski can take a few hours to help with what she can. Aside from that, I don't know what else to do. Are these women's villages close? Will any of them be back soon?"

The demon nodded. "It is just over the mountain, less than half a day's walk. They all live in the same village so it will depend on the injury of their kin."

Kagome again felt herself pausing, "All in the same village?"

"Yes. I can only guess that there was a large scale attack and that many were injured. I could not guess why though. It is well known that the village is protected by our great Lord Sesshomaru. It is too close to the castle to be anything else than under his protection."

Kagome briefly glanced out of the window. "The runner who brought the message, is he still here?"

The woman nodded. "I believe he is in with Lord Sesshomaru right now. Our great ruler would want to know of any possible threats upon his people."

Kagome smiled as she dismissed the demon. After she was gone Kagome quickly changed her direction towards Sesshomaru's war room. She knew that he would meet the man there, because a blatant attack on a village so close to him was a declaration of war. She quickly rounded the now familiar corridor but was greeted by a garrison of two guards. She instinctively knew that they would not let her in, but she tried anyways. After all, how you could you ever receive anything if you don't ask? Before she was even an arms reach in front of the door the guards stepped in front of her.

The boar demon was the first to speak, "I am sorry my Lady. Lord Sesshomaru gave us orders to allow no one inside, even you."

She huffed, "Did he specifically say me? Because if he didn't-"

The boar demon was obviously trying not to smile in such a serious situation but her antics were making it hard, "Yes my Lady, he specifically pointed out you. I will not repeat his words though, they are not becoming for you to hear."

Kagome could have foamed at the mouth. He specifically said _she_ could not go in? Since when did _he_ remember to think about _her_? And what the hell did the bastard say about her anyways? There was no way it was something nice. God, it was probably absolutely nasty about her being human, or that she was useless. The stupid demon made her so mad sometimes! Well now she just had to know. She stomped her foot angrily, "Did he call me woman? I swear if he did I'll chop off all his frickin hair. Woman, bitch or wench. All of them end in a bald Sesshomaru."

Neither spoke.

She could have gouged her eyes out. She really hated Sesshomaru. He knew exactly how to get to her. How was it he could drive her to the point of murder while Inuyasha only wanted to make her throw things? Even when visiting Kikyo she never got the frickin frustrated. Disappointed yes; eyes glowing red with fresh blood, no.

"Tell me or I swear I will track down your mates and then they can have a little word with you about proper ways to address a woman." She glared menacingly as she stood with her hands on her hips. Contrary to popular belief, she would sink as low as blackmail when it came to Sesshomaru.

The other demon, a bear from what she could tell, gulped. Before his friend could stop him he caved, "All he said was that to tell the woman that I specifically singled her out from coming in, let her guess what else I said. It will drive the wench insane."

The bastard got two out of three of those god-forsaken names in there. Now if only she could find a sharp enough blade and magically reduce all of his senses so she could sneak up on him properly.

The boar demon quickly turned to his former friend, "You trying to get us fired?"

The bear shook his head, "Rather fired than facing my mate. You may be single but I sure as hell ain't and there is no way I am sleeping on the floor…again. She is already mad at me about bringing home a dead pig for dinner instead of a dead horse."

Kagome quickly patted the bear demon's hand in a reassuring matter. "Good boy."

The bear demon quickly looked towards her hand and sighed liked the caged animal he apparently was. The boar on the other hand couldn't believe how quickly his friend had fallen. Kagome turned around so she could properly sit in between the two demons. Once her back was placed firmly up against the door she slid down to the floor like the three year old she was at heart. After a few seconds she looked up at the guards, who were staring at her from their now obvious height advantage. She quickly patted the two spots next to her as she attempted to make small talk.

"Come on now, I cannot go in and I don't plan on leaving until I know what is going on. That means you are stuck with me until Sesshomaru and the messenger come out. We might as well get to know each other while I am here."

Both the boar and bear demon crossed their arms and shook their heads.

The bear then stared at her. "We're men, we don't do talking."

Kagome just rolled her eyes, "Oh yes, I forgot. You do sweating and heavy lifting. Just stop being a baby and get down here."

The second guard, the boar, turned his head defiantly, "I ain't no woman."

* * *

After three hours Kagome could say that she knew the two demons pretty well. The bear demon, named Koshi, was mated to another bear demon who worked in the laundry division. He had been in the service most of his life because his father had been a soldier for Touga. He had no children, though it was not for a lack of wanting. His mate did not have time to take care of cubs and she had decided that now was not the right time in their lives for little ones. They were going to wait until he got his next promotion before trying for a third party in the household.

Kurenia, the boar, on the other hand was a whole other story. He was unmated and was not looking to be tied down. From what Kagome could tell nothing scared him more than commitment, not that he would ever admit that. He is a demon, and therefore scared of nothing. He had joined Sesshomaru's guard because he was a rebellious youth with nothing better to do. The only reason he stayed was for the occasional fights they were a part of. Basically, Kagome got the impression that he was bored. He needed something to keep him on his toes and so far, Sesshomaru's army was the best way to do that.

"What I don't understand is why you don't talk to your mother," argued Kagome.

Kurenia rolled his eyes as Koshi agreed with Kagome's statement. He again tried to explain, "She could never forgive me for walking out on the family and I can never forgive her for trying to make me into my dead brother."

"I understand that. If there is one thing I get it is how hurtful it can be when someone tries to make you a replacement for someone else, but that was over a hundred years ago. I am sure she feels sorry now that you both have had some time to cool down. I know that you don't feel the same amount of resentment as you did all those years ago, so why should she?"

Koshi did not entirely agree with her, "I don't know my Lady. Women tend to hold onto things for a pretty long time."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Yes we do, but that is only because you men make the same stupid mistakes over and over again. Now stop trying to relate this to your mate. Mothers and mates are entirely different. Your mother could never truly hate you Kurenia. I don't think any mother could truly hate something that they carried inside of them for all those months, which they raised since a baby. Disappointment and anger, sure, I will give you that one, but never hate. Just try talking to her. If it does not work out then it doesn't work out but at least you will have tried."

The demon sighed as he attempted another argument but before he could get another word out of his mouth both his and Koshi's eyes snapped open. In an instant they were on their feet, leaving Kagome with no idea about what was going on. Plenty of people had passed them in the hallway and they had never once scrambled like thi-

Kagome was suddenly on her back.

The door behind her had been abruptly moved and she went flying backwards and into the war room. She growled to herself, "Well that was surprisingly painful."

"It seems you are finally learning your place miko," spoke Sesshomaru from above her. She looked up innocently as he continued to smirk, "at my feet."

Her gaze immediately went feral, "Bite me you inbreed."

His own smirk went angry as she quickly stood up and dusted herself off. Kagome quickly turned her attention to the newcomer only she did a quick double take after her initial one over. He was covered in blood, and she could not tell if it was his own or not. The smell of the red liquid was suffocating, even to her sense which meant it must be wreaking havoc on Sesshomaru's. He was tired and worn, which was rather abnormal for a demon. Kagome could not lie, the messenger looked absolutely horrible.

Kagome quickly went into her 'mother-mode' as she assessed the situation. She turned towards Koshi and gave him orders. "Go get Laski and tell her to prepare the red bedroom in the eastern wing. Our guest is injured so he will need a bath, rest, clothes, food and perhaps a medic."

Koshi was immediately around the corner and looking for any available maid to tell him who Laski was and where to find her.

Kagome, still in her mode, immediately walked up to the man and grabbed his hand. Before doing anything she turned towards Sesshomaru, "I trust you two are done with your talking?"

Sesshomaru, confused about her attitude only nodded in response.

Kagome turned towards the demon, "Thank you for informing us of the attack, that was very brave of you to rush here with your friends and family still injured. I am sure your attackers were still around as well. That was very noble of you and you have our deepest thanks. Please, come with me so we can get you cleaned and ready for bed. You look like you can use some rest, it is the least we can do."

The demon smiled tiredly as Kagome gently pulled him towards the east wing where his room was being set up. Together the two walked around the corner leaving both Sesshomaru and Kurenia behind her. After a few minutes she had walked the demon to the 'Red Room' as the staff called it. Normally it was reserved for higher diplomats, according to the staff, but no one else was currently using it. Besides, there was no harm in making sure the man was being taken after.

She quickly walked into the room as Laski was walking out. She only nodded once but enough was said. Thanks to her demon speed the room was prepared and Laski would wait outside for Kagome.

Kagome quickly stepped into the room with the over worked demon and lead him straight to the bed. He slowly sat down and Kagome grabbed the nearby basin of water. She slowly helped him take off his shirt as he tried not to move more than necessary. Kagome heard him hiss once and she couldn't help but feel guilty. When she was done she was able to see a large gash surrounded by bruises on his side and back. Kagome gasped just slightly but it was enough to draw the attention of the battered demon.

"I know your kind heal quickly but…" she tried to finish but she just couldn't. After a few minutes of assessment she grabbed a nearby cloth and soaked it in the water. Carefully she washed what blood she could off of him and lightly wrapped some bindings around the man's midsection.

Gently, a skill only learned though practice with Inuyasha, she helped him lay down on the bed. Once settled Kagome pulled the sheet up to his neck in hopes of keeping him warm. When she was satisfied with that she walked over to the windows and pulled the maroon drapery shut in order to block out the light. As quietly as Kagome could manage she blew out the candles throughout the room while managing her way back to the door. Once there, Kagome briefly looked back at the already sleeping demon. With a shake of her head she quietly walked out of the room and into the hallway.

She turned to see Laski waiting for her. "Thank you, he was more injured than I suspect even Sesshomaru knew."

"I was glad to help my Lady," spoke Laski.

"Is there a medic we can call? Those wounds looked really deep," sighed Kagome as she walked away from the room.

"I am afraid not. It is not often that demons are injured like that and live to seek help. If they are, it is because they walked into a fight they could not finish and were somehow able to get out."

Kagome stopped as she looked out a passing balcony, "I will do what I can then."

Laski smiled, "You have too pure a heart to be working with demons my Lady."

Kagome couldn't help the smile, "Oh, I doubt Inuyasha would agree with that."

* * *

Kagome briefly wondered when her life had become this overwhelming. After talking with Sesshomaru it was clear who had attacked the village; black hair, red eyes, tentacles and a girl with white hair holding a mirror. It was most defiantly Naraku. The only question was what exactly had he done? The guards reported damage to the village but honestly speaking, there was nothing to be gained from it. Naraku was not an idiot, psychotic, yes, but not an idiot. He would have only attacked a village guarded by Sesshomaru for a reason and according to Sesshomaru, nothing of value to him was in the town. Only its proximity to him was what made it interesting.

Then it was made clear to them when Horti, the injured demon, became sick. Originally it was believed to be from the injuries. Perhaps it was an infection of some sort that he could not defend against, but as the days passed, it had become clear. The demon was truly sick. Naraku had not attacked the town to kill, but to slaughter. He must have known a runner would get through, and he must have known Sesshomaru would send help. Thus the reason for the plague he released. It would infect every demon in the area and could quickly spread. It was a well calculated and thought out plan. Naraku really was a bastard.

Four days had passed but the demon, Horti, was not getting any better. He had developed a fever on his first night's rest and it had not gone down. He would suddenly have chills and then demand food. An hour later he would throw everything in his system up.

"Lady Kagome?" came a voice to her left.

Kagome briefly stopped her hand as she dipped another cloth into the cool water. She had been attempting to calm Horti's fever while sitting at the foot of his bed. She turned to see Rika waiting for her by the side of the half open door.

Kagome was immediately on her feet. "Rika, you need to leave. Whatever this man has could infect you."

Rika's eyes began to tear, "That is just it my Lady. The squadrons that Lord Sesshomaru sent to the village have all been infected as well. The whole town in plagued and now it has been brought back to the castle. We are quarantining who we can but…half the castle is dying my Lady."

Kagome wanted to comfort her but she knew that Horti only had a few minutes left in this world. With his injuries there was no way for him to combat the disease, at least not while fully healthy demons were falling to it. She quickly looked back at the demon on the bed and then back at the distraught servant.

"Rika, please draw yourself a bath to get rid of anything you may have caught. After that I want you to go to the children's quarters and stay with them. We were lucky enough to keep the virus away from them but many of their family members are infected." Kagome briefly smiled as she tried to help Rika feel like there was still something in the castle worth feeling hopeful for, "They are going to need someone to be strong for them."

Rika briefly smiled as she turned and headed for the bath house.

Kagome turned as well, but it was towards the dying man on the bed. She wished there was more she could do for him, but her powers were all but useless and there was no known antidote. Carefully she walked back towards the bed and grabbed the man's hand. She would be here for him. He had no one else, she couldn't leave.

* * *

Kagome carefully shut the door to the Red Room as she quietly walked down the halls. She stopped momentarily when she saw a flash of silver. Inuyasha was quickly standing in front of her as her eyes welled up with tears. Without notice he did a very un-Inuyasha move and hugged her. Not a side hug, not a pat on the shoulder, but a true hug.

Horti had died.

Kagome quickly wiped her tears as she tried to look at Inuyasha. She did not hold any fear of him catching what may be lingering on her clothes which is why she had no restraints. She could hold him all she wanted, he could have been in there with her and Inuyasha would still be safe. Inuyasha's cursed half blood status was currently saving him. He was a bit more tired than usual but that was the extent of his symptoms. Due to his human blood, he was all but immune to whatever Naraku had released.

"How is everyone else?"

Inuyasha sighed, "We are doing what we can but we are not medics."

"…Jinenji," Kagome looked up at her friend. "Jinenji can heal anything and his human half will protect him."

Inuyasha thought about the idea, "Only you and I know where he lives. You are too valuable to leave and I am currently the castles only source of protection."

Kagome bit her nails in frustration, "Do you remember how to get there? We could send Miroku with some of the healthy guards."

Inuyasha did not like the idea of sending Miroku out there, where Naraku was probably waiting, any more than her. The difference was that she knew there was no other option. While there were only a handful of deaths so far, Kagome knew the numbers were going to increase. It was only a matter of time now that the disease had settled.

Before either could get in another word to argue their case, a loud crashing noise was heard to their left. Kagome immediately swung around to see Rika running towards her, tears in her eyes. "My Lady!"

Kagome was by her side, possible death be damned. "Rika, what is it?"

"Lord Sesshomaru! He's caught this god awful sickness!" Kagome quickly hugged Rika as she fell into her arms. She instinctually wiped away the woman's tears.

Kagome immediately turned towards Inuyasha in a panic. "You have to leave right now. Naraku will not think that you would have left without the rest of us. You will take Hiko's squadron, Rika and a few others who may or may not be infected. Jinenji is going to need to see the virus. Take every precaution I have said while on your way there and back." She pulled Inuyasha close to her, "It has to be you Inuyasha. Miroku will not get their fast enough."

Kagome quickly held Rika, giving just the briefest of hugs to the woman. They slowly stood up as Rika was directed to take her bath and meet Inuyasha at the gate in an hour.

Kagome looked at Inuyasha once before sprinting towards Sesshomaru's bedroom.

She found him unconscious in his room. Someone had laid him in his bed and lit a few candles to help with the lighting. Slowly she walked closer to his form as he panted restlessly. Everyone had known that he had spent hours with Horti and was at the highest risk for infection but he had shown no symptoms. After three hours of being confined in a small room with a sick man Kagome had made him wash first. He had been disinfected in every way she could think of, as were the two guards and Laski. Everyone had assumed it had been caught in time since neither of the four had been sick. Apparently they were wrong.

Slowly she walked closer to the bed. When within reaching distance she brushed Sesshomaru's bangs out of his face, revealing not only the crescent moon but the sweat glistening off his forehead. Kagome briefly felt his temperature and cringed at how hot he was. This was worse than a few hours of neglect, Sesshomaru had been sick for days.

"Stupid idiot, you should have told me you were sick," she mumbled incoherently as she continued to brush his bangs out of his face. "I mean, I don't like you but I don't want you dead."

Sesshomaru's breathing only quickened as the inflation of his lungs became harder. Kagome stood back up and walked over to the door. Most of her medical supplies were being used by the other demons who were sick, but she still had a few things she could do. Slowly she popped her head outside of the door only to be met with the ever devout Jaken. His staff was at the ready as he guarded his master.

"Jaken?"

He immediately turned to her, "Yes my Lady?"

"I am going to need a large basin of cold water and a large basin of hot water. Please get a pitcher of tea made from peppermint and willow bark. I am also going to need some lavender oil."

Jaken just nodded as he scurried down the hallway. Once done, Kagome quickly went back to work. She slowly adjusted his pillows and removed his shirt. Kagome then surveyed the damage. Slowly she placed her hands on Sesshomaru's torso as she attempted to resituate him. He was going to need to be awake for this. Once again she found herself wishing that her powers were strong enough to heal whatever Naraku had unleashed.

She heard a knock on the door and she quickly moved over towards the wooden frame. Two maids, and Jaken, were standing on the opposite wall in the hallway. She was thankful that they were keeping their distance like she instructed. Kagome looked down to see a tray of all that she had asked for at her feet. She briefly smiled while she took the tray. She also quickly hauled the two basins of water to the bed, intent on doing what she could to heal Sesshomaru. Closing the door with her foot Kagome was back by Sesshomaru's side in an instant.

Once the tray was placed by the stand next to the bed she pushed Sesshomaru up as much as her muscles would allow. She was not strong by any means and Sesshomaru was heavier than he looked. After a few minutes of struggling she had Sesshomaru sitting up and slightly conscious. She placed the cup up to his mouth but in his half-there state he refused to drink.

"Please Sesshomaru, the willow bark and peppermint will help your fever," she tried. His eyes remained glossed over as he toppled back over onto the bed. He was too far gone and he was not going to be taking the drink by himself. At this point, she wasn't even sure if he was of the right frame of mind to swallow on his own.

Kagome quickly felt his forehead once again and shuttered. He needed something to calm his body down and this was the only thing that would help. At the same time, it would only help if she got it into his system. She bit her thumb nail as she contemplated the situation. Damn, she looked at the door, there was only one way she could think of. She looked back at Sesshomaru then back at the door, then back at the cup.

Inuyasha could never know. Hell, she would prefer for _no one_ to ever know.

With one last glance at the cup she took a quick drink of its contents, but she did not swallow. As the tea rested in her mouth she placed the cup down and crawled over to the very sick demon. He was still panting, and by doing so, he was telling her that he was getting worse. This only made her resolve strengthen. Slowly she straddled his form, her knees on either side of his waist. Her hands quickly found his striped arms as she pushed them into the bed and under his back. The last thing she needed was for him to have an attack and try to kill her, what with everything she was putting herself through to save him.

Wishing she could take a breath to prepare herself, she leaned down and placed her lips onto Sesshomaru's. Slowly, and only when she felt ready, did she open her mouth. Sesshomaru, in his unconscious state, responded by opening his own with only slight prodding of her fingers on his jaw. Inch by inch the liquid drained into his mouth, Kagome moving accordingly with his movements. Her hands were on his jaw and throat, massaging the closed muscles in hopes of initiating proper swallowing responses.

After what felt like an eternity she pulled away, the taste of peppermint and sickness in her mouth. She looked back over at the rest of the tea and then back at Sesshomaru.

Oh joy.

* * *

Kagome carefully rolled Sesshomaru onto his chest as she pulled the sheets further down his body. She had taken a warm cloth to most of his body, since he was now having chills, and was able to remove most of the sweat. She felt now was as good a time as ever to rub on the lavender oil. While it would be very strong to his senses it would help him sleep. Well, sleep peacefully anyways.

She carefully rubbed the oil on her hands as she warmed the ointment up. He may be a demon but she doubted he wanted the cold oil all over his body. Carefully she started at his lower back, absentmindedly tracing the stripes shaping his abdomen. She followed the natural curve of his waist, trailing the dips and rises of his shapely form. Eventually she made it to his shoulders where knot after knot resided. She worked on his upper body for nearly an hour, focusing a great deal on his shoulders and arms. When she was done Kagome contemplated whether or not to lather his front. She carefully rolled him back over and quickly changed her mind. In an instant her cheeks were red as Sesshomaru's pants hung lower than they were supposed to. While nothing prominent was visible she was more than able to see the defined V shape men spent hours at the gym for. It was more than enough to make her blush a bright red color.

In a flash she had the covers up to his neck hiding anything and everything that could give her mental images she should _not_ be having. He was Inuyasha's dying brother and there are some lines that should just never be crossed. Besides, this was _Sesshomaru_, bastard of the frickin world.

After mentally correcting her wayward thoughts, she blamed it on the last couple of stressful days, she resumed her work. Almost delicately she pulled Sesshomaru to the side of the bed where a basin of warm water resided. She grabbed a sponge and began to wash all of the sweat out of his hair. While she doubted he would let her do this, well, any of this, while awake, the last thing he needed right now was any of the toxins being absorbed back into his body. So, she meticulously lathered the scentless soap in his hair, rinsing, then combing until dry.

When that was done she looked over at the tray of raw horse meat in front of her. Sesshomaru had not eaten…people who are sick need to eat. He needed the energy to fight his sickness.

Mentally she groaned.

The damn egotistical moron just couldn't wake up on his own, could he?

Carefully, and with her eyes squeezed as tight as they would go, she pulled the tray towards her. Almost as if in slow motion she pulled the nearest strip of horse meat forwards even further than the tray. After a few brief seconds of cursing everything mutt, Kagome put the meat in her mouth and began to chew. She desperately hoped she had never met this horse before, or got forbid ever ridden him. Sir-Kills-A-Lot better be damn thankful for all of this when he gets better! She doubted she would do this for anyone else, except maybe Shippo and Inuyasha, if it was not such a dire situation. As she continued to yell at the unconscious dog her heart rate and breathing increased as she became more and more uncomfortable. It did not help her situation as the raw meat continued to squish between her teeth as she chewed.

After a few minutes of chewing, and a new appreciation for any animal with a baby learning how to eat solid foods, she once again straddled Sesshomaru's waist and leaned over.

* * *

Jaken was reviewing the rounds, since Kagome was occupied at the moment, when the door leading to his Master's bedroom burst open. He was immediately on his feet as the priestess came sprinting out of the room.

She was repeatedly wiping her tongue with a towel as she gargled the mint tea he had supplied for Lord Sesshomaru. He watched as she spit the tea onto the towel while continuing to run down the halls.

"My Lady?"

She quickly spun around, "Sorry Jaken, I have to go throw up somewhere. I think I just lost my appetite for the next year."

Before he could ask what the hell happened she was already down the hallway while covering her mouth.

* * *

Two more days had passed and Sesshomaru was still not better. He had not woken up once, which was really disheartening. Thankfully, thanks to all of Kagome's precautions, only three more had been infected. The down side was that seven more had died.

Kagome placed her bowl of strawberries down as she surveyed the empty kitchen. Everyone was either sick or working. She felt bad for those who weren't sick, since they were running a whole castle on their own. They were doing at least double the amount of meals while trying to keep the stupid castle in order so no enemies could take advantage of their weakness. The three visiting Lords were much the same. Lord Uza had caught the sickness but Kagome had noticed it early enough to keep it from getting unmanageable. He was currently on bed rest upon Kagome's orders. Lord Shiho and Lord Malik were of course keeping him company, which she was sure he _loved_.

Kagome eyed her food once again, but found that she was not all that hungry. She was about to force the food down her own throat, because the last thing the West needed right now was a sick medic, when the doors burst open.

Two guards were running into the kitchen, heading straight for her. They looked like the devil himself was chasing them, and she couldn't help but wonder what was going on. So of course, being the naturally inquisitive person she was, Kagome decided to ask.

"Wh-?" but if she ever finished her question it was left back in the kitchen because the two demons had suddenly whisked her away. By the time they stopped running she was dizzy. Inuyasha had never taken her around corners that fast and she was extremely thankful for it. Kagome grabbed her head and was once again going to try asking what the hell was going on but out of the blue, felt the intense need to duck.

Knowing that she probably should she ducked just in time to see one of the guards that had brought her here being hit by an antique tea pot. Soon after a table went flying over her head. She was immediately over to the guard hit by the tea pot when realization suddenly dawned on her. She knew this tea pot. She looked around for more evidence. She knew the table as well, as well as what looked to be a piece of drapery.

Didn't they belong in Sesshomaru's room?

The non-injured demon looked at her like someone would Mother Tereasa, "Please fix it!"

Kagome looked behind her to see the door that normally lead to Sesshomaru's room beaten out. Literally, it looked like a fist had gone right through it. She heard more crashing coming from inside and debated whether or not to investigate. It was only after Jaken was thrown through the door that she decided to at least figure out what was happening.

She lifted herself off of the floor and crawled over to the doorway. She heard more yelling and crashing noises but they did not stop her. She cautiously looked around the doorframe only for her jaw to drop.

Sesshomaru was awake and attacking everything in sight.

There were currently three guards and Lord Malik trying to restrain him but it was not doing any good. His eyes were blood red, his fangs elongated and his stripes more prominent than normal as he attempted to swipe at Lord Malik. The other guards were attempting to hold him down but it was pointless, Sesshomaru had officially lost it.

Kagome brought her hands up to her mouth to stop a gasp as a guard was thrown through the window. Unfortunately, her action gave away her position. Sesshomaru's head snapped in her direction and she stumbled backwards. Oh god, the human hating Sesshomaru just noticed her. The human_ hating_, _feral_ and _blood thirsty_, Sesshomaru just noticed her.

Instantaneously he was in front of her, crouching to her level. The movement scared her more than she would admit and Kagome flew backwards. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru had predicted her reaction and caught the collar of her shirt with his very, very sharp claws. Kagome squeaked as she tried to pull away but Sesshomaru was having none of it. He growled a furious growl that would make Inuyasha cower. Fear was never a huge motivator for Kagome though, and she continued to fight. She clawed, kicked and punched anything she could get her hands on. A few seconds later she felt her collar released as she fell onto the hard floor.

Kagome opened her eyes to see Lord Malik once again fighting Sesshomaru. He had the dog demon's arm twisted backwards as he tried his own roar at Sesshomaru. It did not even phase the insane demon. Sesshomaru swiped Lord Malik's feet from out under him, effectively causing the demon to fall to the ground. Before he could get up Sesshomaru kicked him in the head, effectively stopping any further interruptions. The feral demon Lord wasted no time as he turned back towards her.

Kagome quickly pushed herself further up against the wall, like it would somehow help her from being seen. She continued to watch as a demon jumped onto Sesshomaru's back but was quickly thrown off. Another was punched into the wall when he tried to stand between Sesshomaru and his prey. It was now just the two of them. No one could help her. The guards were down for the count and Lord Malik was just now starting to wake up. He groaned slightly and Kagome looked over at his prone form.

"Please, Lord Malik, you have to get up," she pleaded as she pushed herself further into the wall.

Sesshomaru heard her cry out and silenced her with another deafening growl. Before she knew it he was standing directly in front of her, his claws at the ready. She closed her eyes in fear, knowing that the last thing she saw before she died would be Sesshomaru. That was not what she wanted. She always figured that if she died it would be in the last battle, her last vision being of Naraku being killed. She never thought it would be like this.

Briefly, she felt Sesshomaru's elongated claws running through her hair. They continued until they reached the base of her neck where his palm now rested. One snap and she would be done for. God knows he had the strength to take off her whole head with just a twitch.

Then something strange happened. His hand moved back up the base of her skull. She then felt his hot breath on her forehead, then her cheek. Slowly it descended until she could feel his warmth on the juncture between her shoulder and her neck. Then the most unexpected thing in the world happened. Sesshomaru placed his cheek at the base of her neck and started to…nuzzle.

There was no other way to describe it. Sesshomaru was full on nuzzling her like a dog saying hello to his master.

Kagome briefly opened her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her body, effectively lifting her off the ground. She squeaked just slightly as he pulled her closer, her only support being his own form. He gave off a sound that almost sounded like a cats purr, but it was deeper than any cat she had ever met and she could feel it throughout her whole body as his mouth made contact with her skin.

"Sesshomaru!" yelled a voice from behind them.

Said demon immediately stiffened and she could feel the slight growl as it vibrated across his lips. He slowly, and reluctantly, put her down. He never fully let her go though. His hand continued to stay around her waist, effectively holding her in place.

Once Kagome could see past her 'guard' she watched as Lord Malik pushed himself off from the floor. Once on his own two legs he looked back over at Sesshomaru, surveying the situation.

"Woman, did he hurt you?" he asked.

Kagome was too shocked to even notice the woman comment. She tried to shake her head to answer his question, but she did not feel her muscles moving. She tried again, only verbally this time. "N-No."

Malik took another step forwards but Sesshomaru once again started to growl, his red eyes staring at the intruder furiously. Kagome automatically felt his grip on her tighten.

Malik stopped when he saw the interaction and stepped backwards. The growling stopped.

"What is going on?" asked Kagome while trying to look at both demons.

"I-I think he is trying to keep you safe. He woke up a little while ago and went into a frenzy. He is in an instinctual state right now, everything is in terms of survival," answered Malik. "We were seen as a threat so he tried to kill us."

"So why wasn't I killed?" she asked.

"I think it is because you are taking care of him. He is still sick, and must be able to recognize that you can make him better. You have been healing him for days and your scent is over everything in this room, calming him. Right now he knows that you will make him better so he will do anything to keep you near him."

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru who was still staring at Malik.

"You sure?" she asked. She did not want to be alone in a room with Sesshomaru if he was suddenly going to turn on her like some serial killer.

Malik shook his head, "No, I'm not."

In her shock she tried to take a step forwards but was immediately yanked back. Her back made hard contact with his chest as the air was knocked out of her. Both of his arms were wrapped around her waist as Sesshomaru pulled her tighter. Kagome was effectively trapped and going absolutely nowhere.

"Woman, his dislike of you is more than known throughout the castle. I can think of no other reason for this type of reaction," reasoned Lord Malik.

Kagome looked back up at Sesshomaru whose gaze had not wavered once, "If you are right, he won't hurt me right?"

"He shouldn't," he said while slowly, so as not to disturb Sesshomaru's calmer state, moved over to the two unconscious demons. He placed one over his shoulder while dragging the other by his foot.

Kagome remained in Sesshomaru's embrace as Lord Malik tried to move out of the room while he still could. Kagome on the other hand, was not done. "Why have none of the others responded like this?"

Lord Malik pulled one of the demons closer to the door where another demon was waiting. It was one of the demons who had brought her here and she could only guess, from the cut on his forehead, that it was the one hit by the teapot. "Lord Sesshomaru is much more powerful than the other demons infected. His baser needs as a demon were strong enough to overcome the fatigue caused by the sickness, but, in order to stay awake, and safe, he must stay this way. Otherwise he will revert back to the unconscious form you have been working with."

"I-" Kagome paused. Sometimes, you just needed to take a chance, and since she was not going anywhere she might as well go with whatever the fates were going to throw at her. "I will stay here with him."

Malik paused, "I told you, I am not sure if-"

Kagome cut him off, "I will not let him hurt anyone else if I can help it. We have too many injured and sick. If I can keep him calm for even a little bit then I will. You on the other hand need to go straight to the bathhouse."

Lord Malik nearly dropped the guard he was carrying when he heard her tone. There was no way he was leaving her with Sesshomaru while he was in this state. He could be completely wrong in his assessment. Sesshomaru could kill her the instant he left. She had to know this.

"This is not up for discussion. You will stay healthy and protect the inhabitants of this castle until its Lord can resume his post. But up until then…I need you to be his friend and do what he currently cannot."

Lord Malik could not argue with her words. Her conviction was enough to make him listen, even if he did not want to. He slowly left the room, the two unconscious guards in tow. He did not shut the door though. If anything happened he did not want any type of barrier standing in his way.

Kagome turned around while still in his hold. His gaze was still focused on the doorway as he ignored everything else. So, she took advantage of the situation. Inch by inch she was able to move her body so she was facing him, chest to chest. Kagome looked up wearily as he finally looked down at her. He held the same terrifying gaze and it took all of her self control not to squirm.

He was not going to kill her. It wasn't allowed. Inuyasha would kick his ass.

After that riveting pep talk, Kagome mustered up her failing courage. She pushed against his chest lightly but it did nothing to break his hold. She looked back up. Could he understand her? He seemed to only communicate through growls and they did not teach that particular language in her school.

"Could you lie down on the bed?" she tried asking.

He blinked a few times but did nothing indicating any sort of movement.

She pulled her hand from his grip as she continued to crane her neck upwards. "Bed?" she said while pointing.

Sesshomaru's gaze flickered over to the bed, then back at her. He then looked at her hand, which was still pointing towards the bed. Slowly, his own stripped arm reached out and his clawed hand engulfed her small one. He then pulled her arm back towards him and put it up to his chest, where his heart was. He whimpered slightly, as if telling her that this part of his body hurt. After a few minutes of holding it there he brought it up to his face where he could properly rub the back of her hand against his striped cheek.

Kagome blushed at the contact. "Umm, bed?" she tried again.

This time he was engrossed enough into holding her hand that she managed to pull herself about a foot away. He looked up at her skeptically, like he did not understand why she wanted to leave. Deciding to take advantage of his confusion she pulled him closer to the bed. Once they got there she sat down, pulling Sesshomaru with her. Slowly but surely she pushed him down onto the covers in a more relaxed position, all the while his gaze remained locked with her own. It was not until she got up to get his tea and search for some oil that he tried to sit back up.

Kagome quickly placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back down. "No, you have to stay. I'm just going to get your lavender oil. It should help you sleep."

This time when she moved, to search for the lavender oil in the now destroyed room, Kagome did not break her eye contact with Sesshomaru. Once she found it, buried under a pile of clothes, she walked back up to the bed. Sesshomaru visibly relaxed the closer she came which made her feel a lot better about the whole situation. Maybe he really wasn't going to kill her.

When she was back by his side she reached for the base of his shirt and pulled up slightly, "We need to take it off to put the oil on."

He continued to stare at her. She sighed slightly. It was one thing to take care of Sesshomaru while unconscious, but this was totally different. She would not be able to do half the things she normally did with him in this state. He was like a kid, it was his way or no way. Okay, truth be told that was pretty normal to how he normally was. How about a kid who had no qualms about hurting others. No, that was pretty normal to. Looking back at him she decided to do this the…visual way. Since words did not seem to work.

Kagome quickly pushed up her own sleeve and poured a tiny drop of the lavender oil onto her skin. She then proceeded to rub it in, leaving a slight glisten. "See, you put it on your skin."

He looked at the bottle, then at her. Finally he looked at his shirt, the one that was slightly risen. Slowly, he grabbed her hand, the one without the oil, and placed it on his exposed stomach. Kagome could not help the smile that formed. Maybe Malik's theory was right after all.

She removed the shirt as best she could, since he was still trying to nuzzle her while she did it. It took a good half hour but finally it was done. Miraculously, it only took a little effort to get him to stay lying down on his stomach. The main issue was that he could no longer see her, which he apparently did not like. After she repeatedly reassured him that she was still there, by her hand constantly being on his back, she was able to get started. Slowly she rubbed the oil over his body, trying to get him calm enough to sleep. Once again she traced the lines on his back and she briefly wondered if they were a sign of some sort. Many powerful demons seemed to have markings on their body and Kagome couldn't help but think it was some sort of sign of royalty.

When she was done, and her hands were tired, she carefully closed the bottle and placed it on the floor. Normally, she would have placed it on the desk but Sesshomaru had made quick work of that. As quietly as possible Kagome tried to stand but the silver haired, red eyed demon began to move. Damn, she was positive he had fallen asleep over half an hour ago. He slowly rose from the bed, his back muscles glistening as his upper body pushed him up. His red eyes blinked at her in a daze.

Honestly speaking she had every intention of sitting back down on the bed to help him go back to sleep. It seemed Sesshomaru had a similar idea. His arm carefully reached out and grabbed her wrist. Gently he pulled her down to his level. Once there, he wrapped his arm around her and dragged her into his embrace. Once he had her situated how he wanted, namely her back pressed firmly up against his chest, his arm clinging tightly to her waist and her feet intertwined with his own, Sesshomaru closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

Kagome, who was now as bright as a tomato, looked frantically around the room. She was not staying here. She was not sleeping in the same bed as Sesshomaru. She was not curled up next to him. He was not being so damn possessive of her. Stupid mutt, even in his current state he must have sensed her desire to leave. There was no way she was getting out of this without waking him up.

You know, sometimes, she really hated her lack of luck.

* * *

Malik had just finished explaining the current scenario to his fellow Lords. He wasn't sure what annoyed him more, Uza's triumphant look, or Shiho's disbelieving one. "He would not let her go."

Shiho scowled, "He could kill her."

Malik growled, "I know that. I did not have a choice though, you should have seen him. I was this close to transforming then suddenly he's nuzzling her like some pup given a bone."

Shiho stood up, "I have to go back and stop this."

Uza quickly interrupted him, "No, Malik's theory was right. I went through this once. I was just a few hundred years old when it happened. I had gone on my first hunting trip when we were attacked. I was incredibly injured and no one thought I would live. The only one I would let near me was my sister. She was not allowed to go anywhere without my permission and I had to have her by my side constantly."

Shiho paused, "Your sister? Not your mother?"

Uza grimaced, "I loved my mother but I knew she was cheating on my father. I did not trust her to take care of me like I did Aimi. It will go away when he gets better."

Shiho looked out the window as he assessed what he had just heard, "Will he remember? What happens during this state I mean?"

Uza couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. He briefly sat up just a bit taller in the bed he was confined to, "Oh, he'll remember alright. Though, considering who he is, and who she is, I doubt he will own up to it. _Nuzzling_ his half-brother's alpha female, _trusting_ her with his life like that? I highly doubt he would ever admit to leaning on her for anything."

Malik slowly walked over to the window that Shiho had formerly been looking out of. With a deep sigh, one full of burdens and regrets, he spoke his mind. "She reminds me of her."

Uza immediately stiffened at the mentioning of _her_.

Malik quickly turned back around, "I know she was your friend Uza, but she hurt me. This Kagome girl reminds me so much of Nori it is hard to look the wench in the face."

Uza did not say a word. There was nothing he could say. Words had already been said between them, things that could never be taken back. There was no point in fighting about it anymore. What was done, was done, there were only the after effects to deal with now.

Shiho, seeing the defenses around Malik's heart going down for the first time in years, made a leap of faith, "Do not forget that at one point you loved her Malik. You once saw something good in her and I suspect that those are the things you see in Lady Kagome. Nori chose her path, but that was one woman. Do not blame Kagome for things another woman did to you."

Malik just continued to stare outside the window.

* * *

**Firevixen73**- So how did you all like it? I wanted to give a twist to the story and I felt like this was a good way to do it. Thank you so much for all the reviews, they really do mean the world to me. Hopefully I will get another chapter up soon. Also, I have a new Sesshomaru/Kagome One-shot called _Just Say Please_. I was hoping to get some input on it. Thank everyone for reading!


	9. To Be A Mate Totally Sucks

_Recap:_

_Malik had just finished explaining the current scenario to his fellow Lords. He wasn't sure what annoyed him more, Uza's triumphant look, or Shiho's disbelieving one. "He would not let her go."_

_Shiho scowled, "He could kill her."_

_Malik growled, "I know that. I did not have a choice though, you should have seen him. I was this close to transforming then suddenly he's nuzzling her like some pup given a bone."_

_Shiho stood up, "I have to go back and stop this."_

_Uza quickly interrupted him, "No, Malik's theory was right. I went through this once. I was just a few hundred years old when it happened. I had gone on my first hunting trip when we were attacked. I was incredibly injured and no one thought I would live. The only one I would let near me was my sister. She was not allowed to go anywhere without my permission and I had to have her by my side constantly."_

_Shiho paused, "Your sister? Not your mother?"_

_Uza grimaced, "I loved my mother but I knew she was cheating on my father. I did not trust her to take care of me like I did Aimi. It will go away when he gets better."_

_Shiho looked out the window as he assessed what he had just heard, "Will he remember? What happens during this state I mean?"_

_Uza couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. He briefly sat up just a bit taller in the bed he was confined to, "Oh, he'll remember alright. Though, considering who he is, and who she is, I doubt he will own up to it. Nuzzling his half-brother's alpha female, trusting her with his life like that? I highly doubt he would ever admit to leaning on her for anything."_

_Malik slowly walked over to the window that Shiho had formerly been looking out of. With a deep sigh, one full of burdens and regrets, he spoke his mind. "She reminds me of her."_

_Uza immediately stiffened at the mentioning of her._

_Malik quickly turned back around, "I know she was your friend Uza, but she hurt me. This Kagome girl reminds me so much of Nori it is hard to look the wench in the face."_

_Uza did not say a word. There was nothing he could say. Words had already been said between them, things that could never be taken back. There was no point in fighting about it anymore. What was done, was done, there were only the after effects to deal with now._

_Shiho, seeing the defenses around Malik's heart going down for the first time in years, made a leap of faith, "Do not forget that at one point you loved her Malik. You once saw something good in her and I suspect that those are the things you see in Lady Kagome. Nori chose her path, but that was one woman. Do not blame Kagome for things another woman did to you."_

_Malik just continued to stare outside the window._

_

* * *

_

Kagome could not believe her luck, or lack of it. Never would she have imagined herself in this situation. No, scratch that, she could never have imagined herself in this fricking _position_, let alone the situation. Okay, maybe with Kouga, cause he was crazy obsessive, and maybe with Inuyasha if he was dying or something…but come on! Sesshomaru? She would have bowed down to Naraku before _ever_ thinking something like this could happen.

Kagome briefly looked up from her _position_ as Sesshomaru continued to eat his meat. It had taken some time but Sesshomaru eventually decided that he could feed himself, though for some reason he still preferred it when Kagome would hand feed him. The only thing she could relate it to was how much she liked it when her mom brought her food when she was sick. Somehow it always made her feel better as a kid when she did not even have to lift the stupid spoon. Of course, now that Sesshomaru was awake he was perfectly capable of carrying out certain functions on his own. At least she did not have to chew the raw meat for him anymore. Still, her current,_ position_, was starting to get to her. He had a nose, couldn't he just settle for being able to smell her, or hell, being able to see her? No, he just had to have physical contact at all times now didn't he? Sighing in annoyance she looked back across the room and placed her chin on her palm. "At least Touga's not here to make fun of me."

Sesshomaru immediately stopped eating but Kagome kept her glare in place. At this point, she did not really care what the hell had caught his attention, as long as no one came through that door to see her like this she would somehow survive. Sesshomaru carefully put the strip of meat back onto the plate that Kagome was holding for him in her other hand. Briefly, Kagome wondered what could have got his attention enough to place the food down but decided it wasn't worth the thought.

And that is when the doors burst open.

Kagome immediately looked over at the doors, still in a state of shock and annoyance.

It was Lord Shiho. It was obvious he was about to say something, it looked like an argument of some sort. Oh please say it was to get her out of here, please, please, please! Unfortunately for her, he froze mid sentence. He continued to stand there, disbelief parading across his features. Then her position hit her once again...oh the sight she must make right now.

She was currently sitting in the demon Lord's lap, sitting cross legged, a bowl of raw meat in her hand her chin on the other. Said demon Lord was currently wrapping his restored arm around her waist, growling slightly as his own crossed legs draped around her smaller form protectively. Kagome heard the growl grow as it became louder by the second. Obviously Sesshomaru did not like people…well, in general, sick or not, but especially ones who were interrupting his feeding time.

Lord Shiho quickly turned around and headed back out the door, silently closing it behind him. Kagome huffed, the whole situation draining her by the second.

Luck was a bitch that flat out hated her.

* * *

Lord Shiho calmly walked back into the breakfast room. Lord Uza, who was now able to walk around the castle as long as he had an escort, and Lord Malik were both sitting down in their respective spots. Lord Shiho calmly sat in between his friends and blankly stared at his plate.

Uza, who was more than happy to be out of bed, briefly looked at his long time friend, "You checked on them did you not?"

Shiho nodded his head absentmindedly.

Malik did not even bother looking at the two as he picked up his own meat, "The wench still alive?"

Shiho nodded, "Alive, and annoyed from the looks of it."

Uza just smiled, "A powerful demon like Sesshomaru is currently staging off death, I can only imagine how possessive he's being right now. At least I was still a kid. My sister says that the only other person who has ever shown that level of domineering attitude towards her is her mate."

Shiho's eyes crinkled with his little half smile. The poor girl was in for more than she knew.

* * *

Kagome carefully crept into her cupboard of a room while looking for a change of clothing. Sesshomaru had finally gone back to sleep and she had given him enough sleeping drought to keep a human knocked out for hours, if not days. That gave her a good hour right? She could go to the bathroom, change, eat and take a shower. She could then head back and he would never know she had left.

Briefly Kagome smiled to herself.

Quickly she grabbed all of her things and headed through the castle, intent on finishing the list of things to do in her head. Eventually she made it to the kitchens; all she had to do was take a bath and eat. At this point waffles sounded amazing but she knew that their wasn't going to be time for something that intricate. So instead she grabbed a batch of muffins she made a few days ago. She placed two in her pockets and one in her mouth. Unfortunately it was too big and it ended up stick out far enough that she could hardly see where she was going.

It wasn't until she reached the end of the hallway that she even noticed the destroyed tapestry surrounding her. The ugly, dark and depressing drapes that she had hated so much when she first arrived were completely destroyed, ripped to shreds. Taking a bite out of the muffin and placing the remaining three-fourths in her hand, Kagome carefully looked around.

Everything was ruined.

The tapestries, the pictures, the elegant rugs; it was all torn to bits. In fact, the last time she had seen damage like this, when Inuyasha was not around, was when Sesshomaru went berserk on them-Oh my god! Sesshomaru!

She heard a growl and dropped everything in her arms as a speeding mass came charging at her. Said speeding mass had silver hair, red eyes and very sharp claws. He was immediately by her side, on his knees as he nudged just below her breasts with his nose. More crashing noses were heard as three demon guards and Lord Malik came running full speed around the corner. When they saw the sight, they immediately stopped.

"Lady Kagome!" yelled Kurenia as he panted. Tired and out of breath, the familiar demon rested his hands on his thighs but still managed to stand. The other two guards obviously had no fear of losing face in front of her because they immediately fell onto the ground while panting, attempting to catch their breath.

Malik just stared at her, "He woke up."

Kagome eeped as the much talked about demon stood up, wrapping his arms around her in the process. Sesshomaru continued to pay attention to her by burrowing his face in her neck and hair. "Yeah," she sighed, "I got that."

Kurenia, who had been able to regulate his breathing, turned to face her, "He freaked out."

Kagome looked around the destroyed area, "Somehow, I got that too."

One of the men who was still on the floor, turned to look at her, "It was crazy. He kept trying to follow your scent but because it is so similar to Lord Inuyasha's he kept getting confused and tore up any part of the castle that we were able to stop him at."

Kagome sighed, "So much for my bath."

Malik looked over at Sesshomaru, then at the woman his friend was obsessing about. "Maybe not, Sesshomaru needs a bath as well. You should take one in his chambers."

Kagome's heart increased by beats per minute in an instant. If there were heart monitors in this time she could probably match up with a humming bird right now, "Did you just suggest that I take a bath with Sesshomaru, as in, us, _together_?"

Malik gave an evil glare at that, "What, is there a problem here?"

Sesshomaru growled angrily as he picked up Kagome's frustration. Kagome briefly noticed as the other guards scattered to their feet, full attention on the situation, and backed themselves up against the wall in fright. They knew they could not beat their Master, even in his currently weakened state. Instinctively she placed a hand on the top of his head in order to calm him down, if even just a little. Of course, with what Malik was suggesting she might just let Sesshomaru attack him.

Sesshomaru immediately felt her reassurance flow through him and settled down, if only a bit. This time he did not go back to nuzzling her neck, but standing as he placed his chin on the top of Kagome's head while watching the intruders. His piercing gaze never left their own as he analyzed the situation.

The woman taking care of him was panicking. That meant she was in danger. That was not allowed.

"Yes there is a problem here. I am not the type of woman who just strips naked like that!"

Malik crossed his arms but immediately put them back at his sides, in a less offensive position, when Sesshomaru's gaze turned back towards him angrily.

"Then keep you damn clothes on or something, but you made Uza take one and I am sure you will make us take one as soon as we can, what with how much contact we have had with the sick Lord draped over you. Sesshomaru is not going to let you go anywhere, especially now that he knows that he can wake up and find you gone," reasoned Malik angrily while glaring at the annoying woman before him. She was more difficult than Nori had ever been. He hated that he could not control her, he hated not knowing what she could be thinking. But most of all he hated how damn defiant she was.

Kagome rolled her eyes, "Yes, because the bathtubs are so big here."

Malik smiled, "Who said anything about a bathtub wench?"

Kagome stepped forward angrily, "You should leave before I decide Sesshomaru is healthy enough to kick your stupid ass."

Surprisingly enough, Malik continued to smirk. While it was really pissing her off, because it was, she could not help but wonder what was so amusing. From her standpoint, the whole situation was annoying as hell; it was in no way related to the word 'amusing'.

"Lord Sesshomaru has a bathhouse strictly for him and his immediate family. It is within palace walls, relatively close to his own chambers. It should be more than large enough to accommodate both you and him."

Kagome paled at the thought of actually having to take a bath with fricking Sesshomaru, Lord of the Pricks. Taking care of him was bad enough, but she would be damned before she was soaking wet and scrubbing Sesshomaru down with bubble bath soap. Kagome stuck out her tongue, "Or you could bite me. I am not a whore and I refuse to be seen as one."

One of the guards gulped as he tried to step forwards, "I promise My Lady, that is the last thing anyone in the house sees you as. You are the caretaker, the one protecting us. No harm will ever befall your reputation in most of our eyes. Those who see you differently have no place in this castle."

Kagome's eye's softened at his words. Did the castles occupants really see her in that bright of a light? She was by no means a saint, but to hear praise from a demon, any demon, was a rarity. "I-" she paused while looking back up at Sesshomaru. He was still gazing intently at the men surrounding them, not once losing eye contact. She sighed dramatically, "Fine, where is this stupid bathhouse?"

Malik pointed down the hall to her right. "Head back over to yours and Sesshomaru's room. Keep walking and four doors down you will come to a shielded garden. If you follow the path there will be a hot spring. It has trees and wooden wall's surrounding it so no one will be able to see either of you."

Kagome glared at Malik, "You seem to know a lot about it, perhaps you would feel more comfortable performing this particular post."

Malik smirked, "And deprive you of the pleasure?"

Kagome huffed as she picked up one of the muffins she had previously dropped. After taking a bite she grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and stomped down the hall. Furiously she muttered, rather loudly, something about demons and their ability to annoy the crap out of her.

* * *

After a whole round of muttering she reached the fourth door down from Sesshomaru's now torn up one. It was like he went through furniture like a teenager does clothes. One minute it was there and the next minute it wasn't fashionable enough. In fact if it wasn't for the hatred of all things human, and the ability to decimate said human beings with a mere flick of his wrist, he would fit in perfectly in her time.

Okay, that was a total lie and even she knew it.

She opened the immediate door and was presented with a small room. She could only guess that this was the changing room or something to that extent, and that the door in front of her led to the washroom. Kagome shoved open the door, about to march in, but stopped mid step. Before her eyes rested the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. There were magnificent trees, flowers and bushes were planted everywhere. The stone pathway she stood on created a perfect spiral for her to follow deeper into the woods, but it still provided a sufficient amount of safety due to the wooden walls. Of course, they were so far out that you could hardly tell that they were there. Briefly Kagome thought of home and how any spa in her day and age would pay millions for an on location sight like this. Carefully, so as not to ruin the moment, Kagome pulled Sesshomaru deeper into the springs while following the stone pathway.

While walking Kagome looked up towards the sky, only to see the begging of a sunset right before her very eyes. It was the most magnificent thing she had ever witnessed. The sun's rays reflecting off the water, the steam making the picture look almost mystical. Sesshomaru got this type of view every day? Never before had Kagome ever thought the man behind her lucky, but at that moment she did. He was unimaginably blessed to be able to see something like this whenever he chose.

"My Lady?"

Kagome turned to look at the newcomer almost immediately, only to be face to face with two demons. A man and a woman in gardening clothes looked at her with wide eyes, their claws covered in mud, clipped dead flowers at their feet.

"Please excuse us my Lady, we were just tending to the springs. It has been cared for by our family since our great Lord Sesshomaru's grandfathers time and is one of the pride and joys of the castle. Our only orders were to keep it as beautiful as possible so we figured now was as good a time as any. Please, we would not have come if we would have known you would be here," spoke the woman.

Kagome blushed as it dawned on her. She was in the western hot springs, one of the most beautiful places she had ever imagined, holding hands with Sesshomaru, at sunset. Oh god this must look awful. "No, it is my fault. I just learned about this place and knew Sesshomaru needed a proper bath. I never told you I would be here."

The man bowed, "We will run in some fresh towels and leave you to take care of our Lord. Thank you my Lady."

Before they could leave Kagome yelled out, "Wait!" unconsciously she bit her bottom lip in worry, "Umm, where I come from it is incredibly, well, slutty, to take a bath with someone you are not with romantically. I feel…" Kagome could not figure out how to say what she wanted to say, "What I mean is, are people here going to think badly of me because of this?"

The woman smiled as she stepped towards Kagome. Carefully she stretched out her hand to comfort the obviously frightened girl but stopped mid reach when Sesshomaru growled and pulled Kagome backwards into his chest. Realizing the situation the older demoness bowed, "Our opinion will not lessen. In our culture bathing is a sacred ritual among pack members, not a sexual one, though it can become one if mates so chooses but I doubt that is the case. If anything you will be held in a higher regard than you were previously."

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru then back at the man and woman, "…My clothes are not coming off."

The woman laughed and Kagome could see the younger man smirk from behind his co-worker. Still he did not say anything back to her. Together they smiled quietly, bowing out, and away from the scene.

Kagome, realizing they were alone turned towards Sesshomaru awkwardly. With a now full-blown blush on her cheeks Kagome desperately tried not to think about the situation she was willingly putting herself in. In fact, Kagome was currently trying to block out all the things she was sure everyone she knew back home would think. Her Mother would be absolutely horrified, and her poor old grandfather would probably never talk to her again. Not for getting squeaky clean with a man, but with a _demon_. Her stupid brother would laugh and her friends, oh god her friends would be the worst. They would have a million questions…questions that she should under no circumstances be thinking about right now.

Kagome sighed, closed her eyes and counted to ten in her head. Eventually, after getting her heart rate to a somewhat normal level she turned to Sesshomaru, "Alright, are you ready to get-_oh my god_!"

Kagome spun back around and covered her eyes, desperately trying to get the picture of Sesshomaru stripping out of her head. She had of course seen him with little to nothing on, what with her giving him his daily sponge bath for the last few days. Watching him take off his own clothes was a very different scenario though. There was just something so wrong about it. God it was Inuyasha's older brother! She was having bath time with fricking Inuyasha's older brother.

Said dog boy could _never_ know about this.

Suddenly Kagome felt a heavy weight draped across her shoulders. Discreetly she peered between her fingers and turned her head in the slightest. Sesshomaru stood there his pants in one hand and his shirt on the ground. He carefully leaned closer into her and nuzzled her neck, his own hair curtaining her view of the tamed forest surrounding her.

"I-" Before she could do anything else Kagome reached forward and grabbed what appeared to be a towel. Did those demons come and go already? How did she not see them? Did it happen while she was remembering how to breath? Cause that would be mortifyingly horrible.

Deciding not to dwell on it longer, she honestly had bigger things to be panicking over, Kagome quickly spun on the balls of her feet and wrapped the cloth around Sesshomaru's waist. Her hands met behind his back as she hugged his middle, her outer cheek carefully pressing up against his perfectly muscled chest. The young woman modestly looked up at Sesshomaru, her arms still wrapped around him of course, and tried not to stutter as she spoke. "Alright, I can do this…just promise me you are never going to remember any of this when you get better…cause I think I would die."

Sesshomaru cocked his head to the side.

Almost hesitantly Sesshomaru reached out with his clawed hand and brushed it up against her shoulder. Kagome followed him with wide eyes as he tried to pull her sleeve. Kagome instinctually pulled back a few feet in shock, only to realize that he was no longer covered, and once again jumped forwards and wrapped herself, and the towel, around him.

She said it earlier and she would say it again. Luck was a bitch that frickin hated her.

* * *

Malik walked into the war room, hair wet and body newly cleaned. Shiho was the first to stand and greet him. "I take it you found him?"

Uza looked up from the scroll he was reading and shook his head. "Why must you brutes damage everything you touch? I could hear your growls all the way over here. Isn't he supposed to be at a fraction of his power right now?"

Malik glared, "I still say the woman should have let you die when she realized you were sick."

Shiho rolled his eyes rather blatantly at their immature banter. It seemed their temporary bout of civility had ended. "Please Malik, what happened? Where is Lady Kagome?"

Malik smirked, "Oh, her? She's currently giving Lord Sesshomaru his bath."

Lord Uza immediately dropped his scroll on the ground in shock, "You did not!"

Lord Shiho took a few steps forwards, "Malik you have to know from your dealings with Nori that human's see bathing very differently than us demons. To bathe with another, especially washing someone of the opposite gender, is considered taboo to them."

Malik continued his smirk as he sat down in the middle of a few cushions, "I know, but it will calm down Sesshomaru. It may be awkward for her, but for him it is a sign of trust and loyalty. She will just have to get over it."

Uza frowned in anger, "You are worse then I remember."

* * *

Kagome swore Sesshomaru had it out for her. Even in this 'survival mode' as she was now dubbing it, the stupid demon knew exactly how to rile her up. What was it? A god given trait to anyone with dog demon blood? Carefully she looked up at Sesshomaru who was quickly closing in on her. Of course, she was not getting very far away considering her desperate need to hold up the towel. He did not seem to care at all that he was naked in front of her which made her job all the more frustrating.

Warily, and more then aware of her situation, she took a few steps backwards. Sesshomaru was quick to follow as he pushed her closer to the edge of the hot spring. It seemed he was intent on relieving her of her own clothes and was not giving up. "I swear I will never leave your side again."

Apparently that wasn't a good enough bargain because he wrapped his arm around her waist and tried to pull the fabric upward.

Kagome took another mortifying step backwards only to realize that she was now out of space. "Umm, three fights a day with Inuyasha."

She could feel her fabric ripping as he yanked harder. Terror soared throughout her veins as she took another step backwards. This time though, she found nothing but air. In an instant Kagome felt herself falling. Her back foot left her unbalanced enough that the rest of her body wasn't sure which way was up and which way was down. Before she knew it Kagome was surrounded by warm water and silver with a deafening sound of a large splash. After getting her bearings straight she surfaced, flipping her hair behind her with a stream of water it its wake.

After a few seconds to clear her vision she noticed the silver strands floating in the water that surrounded her own body. She immediately felt, what she could only guess was Sesshomaru, wrap his arms around her body and pull her closer than she deemed necessary. He quickly turned her around so they were facing each other properly. Before Kagome could comprehend what the hell he wanted now, I mean, she was in the damn pool with him already, he handed her what appeared to be a washcloth.

Almost tenderly he pulled her over to a side of the pool and sat her down on what she could only guess was a ledge. Once she was situated to his liking he began to rub the cloth, which she could only assume had some sort of cleaning oil on it to act as soap, up and down her arms. At first she tried to pull away but Sesshomaru held her arm there, in his lap, with a fierceness she had no hope of overcoming. Though, the longer she let him do what he wanted, the more she realized that he was giving her a bath. She had never seen him so meticulous about anything before, he checked every crevice, every patch of skin, every part of her that she would permit him to clean he did.

When he was done Sesshomaru rinsed out the cloth in the water and handed it to her expectantly.

It was time to return the favor.

Gulping Kagome took the small cloth from him and stared at it curiously. Maybe something crazy would happen and it would develop hands and wash him itself. Kagome looked back up at Sesshomaru who was still staring at her, and then back at the cloth. Eventually she looked at her own hands and groaned.

Hey look, magic hands.

Kagome slowly moved forwards and grabbed his hand. Painstakingly slowly she cleaned off all the dirt and grime on his body. At first she had wanted to quickly breeze through all the steps but found herself feeling guilty. Sesshomaru had spent so much time on her, even if he was mostly washing the outside of her clothes since yes, she was still wearing them. Kagome could not shortchange him on something he obviously valued, or he would not have helped her. So, she began with his nails, cleaning out every speck of dust and every blood sample she could find. Eventually she made her way up to his elbow and then his shoulder.

Absentmindedly she noticed the muscles in his arms flex randomly. They were firm, not an ounce of loose skin anywhere. Then again, Inuyasha was much the same. It had to be a demon thing because only on rare occasions had she ever met a powerful demon with even a scrap of fat on them. Cautiously she worked her way to his torso, immediately deciding that while she would follow the patterns of his stripes, she would not follow them _that_ far. Especially considering the current lack of the towel she had tried so hard to keep on him.

No, that was floating somewhere down the spring, probably close to the small waterfall about ten feet down from her.

Sesshomaru shifted his weight just a bit and Kagome immediately felt her temperature rise. It had nothing to do with the water. No, it had more to do with looking down at exactly the wrong moment.

* * *

The three visiting Lords could not believe their ears. Something must have gone horribly wrong in the bathhouse for something like this to happen. Without delay the three raced down the hallway and towards the chaos. By the time they reached the corner a guard laid bloody and on the floor. This was slightly expected given everything that was being said around the castle. Of course, they were demons, danger was part of their lives. The guards, the maids, the servants, everyone knew the risk of working in such a powerful demon's house. Death was a constant so while the man would be mourned, no one was at fault.

This did not mean they would allow needless deaths if possible. This of course, brought them to their current situation.

Right before them stood Lord Sesshomaru, a small towel wrapped around his waist but he wore nothing else. The more important picture to the scene was the woman in his arms. She was soaking wet, still in her clothes but most importantly wrapped around Lord Sesshomaru's middle. Perhaps that was the wrong way to look at it. It was more like Sesshomaru had placed her arms around his own neck, her back up against his left arm and his other arm caring her by the crook in her bent knees. The biggest shocker was how her body was faced towards him, like a small child sleeping in their parent's arms. Of course, she was not sleeping by any means of the imagination.

"Get me the hell out of here!" she yelled at the Lords.

Uza stepped backwards as Lord Sesshomaru's growls intensified dramatically. Kagome watched as his fangs grew and his grip on her tightened. His claws began to dig into her skin and she couldn't help but whimper. She tried to hold back a small whine when she felt her own blood dripping down her arms.

"He has already attacked seven workers! I don't know what happened, he just snapped!" she tried yelling but Sesshomaru pulled her closer effectively silencing her. Before she could try again he squeezed harder onto her freshly made wounds, once again eliciting her cooperation.

Shiho desperately tried to figure out what was going on. They had already come across the bodies of two workers. One of which who had died, the other who was in critical care. They had no idea what could have set off their dear friend like this, but it was obviously something big.

Malik was the first to step forward but was pushed back by the suffocating air of Sesshomaru's demonic aura. "What exactly happened?"

Kagome's fear spiked when Sesshomaru pulled a claw away from her legs and it began to glow a familiar green. She recognized his poison, hell, she had had nightmares about it for weeks after his first kill attempt on her. Though, she could not let it stop her, people's lives were depending on her figuring this out. "We-We left the bathhouse. There were servants waiting with some fresh clothes and he went absolutely insane. When one of them tried to give me some clean clothes he started swiping!"

Malik flexed his claws angrily. Sesshomaru did not go insane for no reason. The only time anything had even happened was when the woman left, and she was clearly in the young Lord's arms. Nothing made sense. Then something strange crossed his keen sense of smell. The woman's scent, or more importantly, the half demon's scent, was missing. He sniffed the air once again and his eye's widened. "Woman! Is the bathhouse scent very strong today? Could you smell anything aside from the waters while in there? The plants or flowers?"

Kagome, who was trying not to yell at him for asking about her bathwater, I mean, come on, tried to think back to before the current chaos started. At the same time, she could not help but rant inside of her own head. Did he not realize the situation? Some things were more important than the potency of the steam she took a fricking bath in! Like I don't know? Sesshomaru losing his mind! "I don't know!"

"Think woman!" he yelled. "Your scent is different. Before it had always carried the scent of the half-breed. All except for that one day with the cat demon. I cannot smell either on you, in fact, the only thing that reaches my senses is the scent of Lord Sesshomaru."

Shiho sniffed the air as well, as did Uza. Unfortunately neither of them had the keen sense of smell that Malik did. They would take their fellow Lords word for it though. Shiho turned to Kagome, "If what he says is true, then he is entirely in his rights to act like this."

Kagome looked shell shocked at the comment as she tried to turn her head. "What? Right? No one has a right to kill for no reason!"

Sesshomaru growled furiously as two more guards appeared around the opposing corner. Without notice he crouched down to the ground, as low as he could go with Kagome still in his arms. It did not take a genius to figure out he was about to attack. The deep snarl permeated the room as the others froze in fear.

Malik, recognizing the situation, pulled as many guards as possible away from the scene. He grabbed them by the collar of their neck, as if they were disobedient pups in the way, which honestly, at the moment they were. "Let them through, he needs to take her to a safe place!" Malik motioned to the other Lords, who were trying to move everyone out of the way.

Sesshomaru saw his opening and charged through the remaining men, taking down all who stood in his wake. All Kagome saw was a deep blur every which way that she looked. Her head was already spinning with the different twists and turns she could not distinguish. Then, unceremoniously and without the briefest of warnings she was dropped. By the time she opened her eyes Kagome was once again sitting on the oversized bed she had come to know so well after the last few days.

The first thing that did register in her confused little mind was that Sesshomaru was no longer holding her, and that was all she needed. With determination in her step Kagome sprinted over to the door as fast as her human legs could carry her. Kagome felt the door briefly tickle the tips of her fingers before she was harshly pulled backwards. With a huff she skidded to an ungraceful landing on the floor. Then she felt something harshly grab her leg and pull her back to the bed where she was once again thrown.

This time when she looked up Sesshomaru was leaning over her. He sniffed her body as he crawled on all fours, eventually caging her form with his own like an animal. Her heart rate increased dramatically when his nose traveled further up, eventually meeting the juncture behind her ear. Kagome closed her eyes tightly, letting the fear roll off her in waves.

Then Sesshomaru sat down, his hips sitting directly on her own. Before she could gasp at the weight the demon pulled her punctured arm up to his face. With an almost sorrowful expression he looked at the damage he had caused. Sesshomaru spared her a small glance before daringly stroking his tongue on her wound. Kagome, in no way used to or expecting the contact, shivered involuntarily. Inch by inch, just as when he was giving her their previous bath, he cleaned her of her wounds. When he was done he rolled over to the side and wrapped his arms around her middle. Kagome, now in a somewhat more reasonable position sighed dramatically.

What the hell was going on?

* * *

Inuyasha charged up the steps to the castle. Jinenji had traveled with him for the past few days to get here in time but he feared they had not been fast enough. They had not slept or ate the entire time, they just picked up and left without a word. All Inuyasha had to say was that Kagome needed him and the oversized demon was already packing. Inuyasha described the symptoms for the infected demons as quickly as he could as soon as he got there. Jinenji had grabbed a wide variety of herbs and premade mixtures, knowing that no garden would be as extensive as his own. The others had stayed behind with the half horse demon's mother since she too was a practiced healer. Luckily only one of them had come down with the sickness as they traveled, and all the children were safe.

Inuyasha turned to watch Jinenji slowly make his way up the stairs. The moment the two had reached the castle Jinenji had slowed to a more even pace. He was a half-demon just as Inuyasha, and he had learned that their kind was not usually welcomed with open arms, no matter the help they brought. Inuyasha understood this, which is why he was not pushing the horse demon to hurry...that much. "I don't know who has been infected since I left."

Jinenji turned to the bags of ingredients he carried on his back. When he spoke, his voice was as gentle as it had ever been. "There was an outbreak about forty years ago that infected some of the islands east of here. It sounds similar, though how it got here I do not know."

Inuyasha could easily come up with a response, "Naraku. He had to of infected the town, knowing how close it was to Sesshomaru's keep. There was no way guards would not be sent to investigate giving him all sorts of ways to infect the castle."

Jinenji nodded since it made sense. He too had heard many stories of the vile character. From what he knew, there was a large possibility of it being from the half demon. The two made their way through the empty corridors and headed straight for Sesshomaru's room. "The bastard's room is this way, he was the last I knew of being infected."

Together they turned the corner, only to be met with a hoard of men. Standing in front of them was none other than Malik, "Half bread, what is this? You are already back?"

Inuyasha growled slightly, but knew that this was no time to get into a fight with the older demon, "This is the healer, let us see Sesshomaru."

Malik looked to a few fellow guards before returning his gaze to Inuyasha, "I am afraid that is impossible at the moment."

This time Inuyasha released his full on growl in rage. A few of the guards cowered in fear, each backing up just slightly but Malik held his ground much to Inuyasha's dismay, "What the fuck does that mean?"

"The miko…something happened-"

Quite rapidly both red eyed half demons were charging at the Northern demon Lord. Inuyasha and Jinenji had both lost control at the mention of Kagome's name. At this sight, all but two of the guards fled the area in terror.

"Stop!" yelled a male voice from behind them. Lord Shiho quickly rushed forwards, "The young girl is fine, and she is with Lord Sesshomaru at this very moment."

Slowly, almost reluctantly, the two demons calmed down. Inuyasha, who still had the slightest bit of red in his eyes, barked ferociously, "Explain!"

Shiho scratched his head, "You should have warned us that Lady Kagome's scent adapts to whoever is the first to touch her after a bath. It threw Sesshomaru for a large loop. As I am sure you know, only a mate carries the scent of another like that, and even then it is during the first few moon cycles. So, in Sesshomaru's unreasonable condition he saw her as a mate, himself as injured and went into defense mode. A lot of good men were killed in that fiasco."

Inuyasha said nothing as he processed the information, "Kagome always carries my scent, it has always been like that. I discovered it the first week I met her. He has known her for just as long, Sesshomaru had too of known that she is not his mate. She just has a strange ability to cloak her scent."

"Normally I am sure Sesshomaru could have recognized this, but in his current predicament there was no reasoning with him," stated Malik.

Inuyasha scoffed and turned towards the double doors, "The bastard is going to have to get over that real quick now that I'm back."

Malik stepped in front of him, "That is not a wise move Halfling. Sesshomaru is allowing no one entrance."

Inuyasha just pushed him aside, "Whatever." He took orders from no one, especially some prissy Lord who thought he was better than everyone around him. Before Shiho could stop him Inuyasha kicked the already damaged doors wide open. The lock that had them shut landed across the room with a loud thunk. The moment Inuyasha stepped through the door he was immediately tackled to the ground. He felt his breath leave him momentarily as a fist connected with his gut. He then felt a blinding pain in his shoulder as something sharp dug into it. By the time he ripped himself away the floor was covered with his own blood and the pain surrounding him was unbearable. He looked up while staggering to his feet trying to hold his shoulder.

Sesshomaru crouched menacingly in front of him. Never before had he ever been truly terrified of his older brother, but this moment topped anything he had ever witnessed. Sesshomaru's claws extended like knives from his fingers, his eyes relayed nothing but pure rage. What horrified him the most was his older brother's teeth. His mouth was covered in blood and the red life giving liquid dripped down Sesshomaru's chin and down his neck, effectively staining the young demon's pristine skin.

Inuyasha stumbled again as his vision became blurry.

"Inuyasha!" screamed a familiar voice.

His vision cleared just enough for him to make out Kagome jumping off what was left of the bed. When she tried to reach for him the blood coated Sesshomaru pulled her back and into his arms. Kagome stilled when the demon Lord growled in warning. Inuyasha watched as his best friend grabbed Sesshomaru's wrist and slowly walked him over to the bed. Eventually she was able to get him to sit down, but not without him pulling her onto his lap.

Inuyasha somehow mustered up enough strength to stand, pure determination to protect his friend helping him to do so. He tried to take a step forward, towards the human he swore to protect, but was stopped by her plea's. "Don't, he won't hurt me Inuyasha. Please, I am going to do what I can but for now you need to trust me to take care of myself."

Inuyasha shook his head as he clutched his stomach with his other claw, "Hell no!"

"Inuyasha…trust me."

Inuyasha growled angrily but his noises were quickly overshadowed by the older dog demon's throaty response. Inuyasha looked back over at Kagome as he tried to decipher what to do. He did not want to leave her with him; he did not want to leave her life in the hands of someone like Sesshomaru. But wasn't that what he had been doing all week? Their eyes locked and he saw the determination and worry in her expression.

Shit, he had to let her do this.

Slowly he backed up until he reached the doorway, "If he-"

She immediately cut him off, "He won't."

Angrily, Inuyasha turned and headed back out the door, while covering his wounds with a claw, slamming the stupid thing in the process.

Kagome sighed as Sesshomaru's grip tightened around her waist. She wanted nothing more than to run to Inuyasha, to make sure he was alright. She had seen the wound on his shoulder, she had watched as Sesshomaru tore apart her friend's arteries with his teeth. It was terrifying to watch, but it was worse not knowing if he was alright.

But she knew her place was here right now, no matter her wish. So, she did her job. Absentmindedly she grabbed a washcloth and dipped it in a fresh bowl of water. Under no circumstances was she looking at Sesshomaru while her best friends blood dripped from his mouth. Slowly, she wiped away as much as possible. Luckily, Sesshomaru was more than happy to have her touching him. It seemed to be his goal in life as of lately. When his face was clear she placed the cloth down in the now red water and pushed it over towards the other side of the room with her foot.

She didn't want the reminder about her friend's injury close to her.

Kagome felt something wet at the base of her ear and shuttered. It had become Sesshomaru's new fetish to lick her whenever he felt like reminding her that he was there, which was always. Slowly he pulled her down to the bed and rolled on top of her. She was used to this by now, his desire to hold her whenever they slept. It had become routine in a sense. So much so that she had stopped freezing up every time he tried, which pleased him greatly.

She was about to close her eyes, knowing she would spend the entire time worrying about her friend, when something new happened. The young woman suddenly felt something sharp but surprisingly gentle slowly make its way up her leg. Kagome's eye's snapped open when the claw moved to her inner thigh and began tracing circles. She immediately tried changing positions and pushing Sesshomaru off when his strong grip pinned her down. His mouth was suddenly on her lips in soft kiss. Slowly he began to intensify the kiss by pressing harder with his body.

Kagome briefly glanced to the side in panic when Sesshomaru began to kiss her jaw line instead of her mouth. Carefully and as discreetly as possible she slipped her arm out of his grasp and reached for the nearest object available to her. Her hand immediately came into contact with the vase she had spotted on the nightstand just a few minutes ago. Kagome knew she would have to do something special so she quickly prayed that the vase was as indestructible as Inuyasha's sword. Hoping that her prayer would work like it had with the tree and the wind Kagome smashed the vase against Sesshomaru's head with as much force as she could muster in her current position.

The vase shattered into a million pieces all around her but she thankfully felt Sesshomaru's weight intensify dramatically on her own body. His kisses had stopped, as had his roaming hand. Kagome looked down to see the unconscious Sesshomaru laying down, his head on her chest and the rest of his body draped over her own. Hesitantly she tried to push him off but soon found that he was much too heavy for her. It seemed Sesshomaru had his earlier wish, she really wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Inuyasha paced the garden furiously while Jinenji made his rounds to the surviving victims of the disease. He turned to the half demon, "It's been three days! Why the hell has she only left that room to bathe? Even then the bastard is still all over her!"

Jinenji turned to Inuyasha as he spoon fed an older demoness, "Is anger your only emotion?"

Inuyasha scowled and ignored Jinenji's question, "It aint right!"

Jinenji sighed, "Inuyasha, I have done what I can. The antidote was slipped under the door, but it is up to Lady Kagome to get him to drink it. She is doing her part to keep him under control while my antidote takes effect in his system."

"Why is it taking so long!" Inuyasha whined.

It wasn't even a question and Jinenji knew it. That did not mean he would not answer it though, it was much too impolite not to. His mother had made sure to raise him with manners. "He was very sick, there is no guarantee the antidote will take. I am sure she is just trying to make sure he is doing everything to make himself better."

Inuyasha growled as he stomped towards the door, "It's stupid that's what it is!"

Jinenji sighed as his fellow half demon barged through the healing tents around them. The older demoness cackled at his discomfort, "It is alright young healer. He is just not used to sharing her."

Jinenji looked back towards the raging half demon he called a friend, "Who would want to?"

Slowly he stood up to his full height. Jinenji stretched his lanky arms and muscular thighs. He was about to head over to the nearest tent when someone called his name. It was a small demon child that had returned yesterday with her party from his home town. He leaned over in order to be eye level with the young girl, "Yes?"

"Lady Kagome wants you!" she panted.

He nodded and gave a quick thank you to the girl as he headed back up to the castle. The half demon was extremely thankful for the large ceilings and doorways as he made his way through the castle. He was well over nine feet tall and was delighted to find he did not have to crouch to the floor like he normally did when inside. By the time he made it to the hallway where Lady Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru resided there was a large crowd hovering around the door. They individually turned around when they saw him approaching, giving him plenty of room to enter. When he made it into the Lord of the West's bedroom he was surprised to see Kagome standing next to said demon Lord and holding his hand in excitement. What surprised him even more was the old toad demon Jaken, and the three visiting Lords where right next to her.

He looked to the bed to see that Sesshomaru was still unconscious but tucked under the covers almost tenderly. He walked over to the side of the bed that was opposite from her, since Lord Uza and the green demon were by her side.

Kagome smiled when she saw her friend, and Jinenji could not help but reflect her greeting back.

"He was sleeping and then started to wake. His eyes were gold! He's getting better! And what's ever nicer to hear? He's waking up!"

He could tell she wanted to jump up and down in excitement but somehow restrained herself. "He has taken my medicine?"

"Everyday in his tea. Is he getting better? Please say he's getting better. I really want a normal bath," she pleaded desperately.

Jinenji looked over at the demon Lord and pressed his pulse point on his wrist. He slowly leaked some of his demonic energy into Sesshomaru's system in order to check for anything malicious. He felt only small traces and then pulled his aura and hand away. "He will be better by morning, you are free to leave his side."

Kagome squealed like a small child and clapped her hands together in joy. Before he knew it she had jumped onto the bed and was running over Sesshomaru's unconscious and covered form. When she reached Jinenji she jumped into his arms as he caught her. "Thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much for being your kind hearted self Jinenji, you really saved the day."

Jinenji couldn't help but hug her back while listening to her words, the words he had always wanted to hear from others. He originally didn't care who said them, just that someone did. Now that he had heard them come from her lips, he knew why he would drop anything in the world for her. She was too pure, to loving to ever say no to. No, he did not blame Inuyasha one bit for not wanting to share the ray of light that was Kagome.

Said woman gently pealed herself from the healers grasp and jumped back onto the bed and out of his arms, "I am taking a proper bath right after I check on Inuyasha. Where is he?"

She looked around the room for some type of answer but no one would look her in the eye, not even her beloved friend. Her eyes immediately narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips, "Where is he?"

Uza laughed, "Well, honestly? He has been pouting the last few days like an insolent pup that had his favorite chew toy taken away."

Kagome just couldn't suppress her laugh as she began to giggle. She was so happy that she didn't even care that she had been called a chew toy. Without another seconds worth of hesitation she jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, intent on finding her favorite silver haired demon with the most adorable ears she had ever seen.

**

* * *

****Firevixen73 **- This chapter was fun to write. Can anyone else see him being all possessive like that? Just me? I hope you liked it as much as I did! Also, I got a lot of questions about why Touga wasn't there in the last chapter, or this one either, to properly make fun of Kagome. I can say that there was a reason and that it will play in future chapters. That's just some thought for you guys to chew on, I hope you enjoyed my chapter.


	10. Sesshomaru's Problem

_Recap:_

_"He was sleeping and then started to wake. His eyes were gold! He's getting better! And what's ever nicer to hear? He's waking up!"_

_He could tell she wanted to jump up and down in excitement but somehow restrained herself. "He has taken my medicine?"_

_"Everyday in his tea. Is he getting better? Please say he's getting better. I really want a normal bath," she pleaded desperately._

_Jinenji looked over at the demon Lord and pressed his pulse point on his wrist. He slowly leaked some of his demonic energy into Sesshomaru's system in order to check for anything malicious. He felt only small traces and then pulled his aura and hand away. "He will be better by morning, you are free to leave his side."_

_Kagome squealed like a small child and clapped her hands together in joy. Before he knew it she had jumped onto the bed and was running over Sesshomaru's unconscious and covered form. When she reached Jinenji she jumped into his arms as he caught her. "Thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much for being your kind hearted self Jinenji, you really saved the day."_

_Jinenji couldn't help but hug her back while listening to her words, the words he had always wanted to hear from others. He originally didn't care who said them, just that someone did. Now that he had heard them come from her lips, he knew why he would drop anything in the world for her. She was too pure, to loving to ever say no to. No, he did not blame Inuyasha one bit for not wanting to share the ray of light that was Kagome._

_Said woman gently pealed herself from the healers grasp and jumped back onto the bed and out of his arms, "I am taking a proper bath right after I check on Inuyasha. Where is he?"_

_She looked around the room for some type of answer but no one would look her in the eye, not even her beloved friend. Her eyes immediately narrowed as she placed her hands on her hips, "Where is he?"_

_Uza laughed, "Well, honestly? He has been pouting the last few days like an insolent pup that had his favorite chew toy taken away."_

_Kagome just couldn't suppress her laugh as she began to giggle. She was so happy that she didn't even care that she had been called a chew toy. Without another seconds worth of hesitation she jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, intent on finding her favorite silver haired demon with the most adorable ears she had ever seen._

* * *

It had been a total of three days since Sesshomaru's recovery and Kagome was absolutely sure of one thing.

The Lord of the West was avoiding her.

Now why he was doing so was quiet honestly a mystery to her. Sure she had taken care of him, but it wasn't like he knew any of the details or embarrassing moments that happened during that time. There was just no possible way. Kagome quickly suppressed her blush from the surfacing memories of their 'bath' time. No, she was the only one who had to deal with true embarrassment here. Miroku and Sango, who would be the only people who could have known what had happened, had both been traveling to other towns attempting to keep up appearances to stop any enemies from attacking. Jaken would never whisper a word about what he had seen and Malik and Shiho, please, that would imply possibly embarrassing Lord Sesshomaru. Contrary to their status Sesshomaru could and would kick their ass. That left one option, and that was Sesshomaru remembering the events. Of course, it wasn't like he could remember anything, right?

Right?

Oh my god!

Kagome literally tripped over her own feet as the possibility dawned on her. Could he remember what happened? No, sick people were absolutely delirious, there was no way he did. Even so, wouldn't it all be in fragments that made no sense what so ever. Besides, she would _soooo_ be dead right now if he did. He would never let her live after all that happened. He'd probably cut out her tongue after he killed her too, if there were any remnants of her body left, just to make sure. Sesshomaru would definitely be thorough in making sure the word never got out, of that she was positive. No, there was just no way he remembered.

She abruptly turned to the projection following her, determined to confirm her thoughts, "He doesn't remember does he?"

Somehow, in the back of her mind, she knew Touga would know exactly what she was speaking about and if he didn't, well then he was just the world's worst father. Honestly, parents were downright amazing when it came to reading their children's minds.

Touga on the other hand, was having immense pleasure with her internal mortification. He debated telling her the truth, that Sesshomaru and his beastly side were the same being, one was just more primal by nature. It would be like comparing Kagome at home in the kitchen versus being cornered by a band of priestess hating demons. There was no difference between the two; that comparing them is only acknowledging one side of your body. At the same time, he knew of the woman's insecurities. She may appear strong and mouthy at first, but she was much more at the same time. Besides, it would be a hell of a lot easier to work with her if she wasn't blushing every time she and Sesshomaru were in the same room together.

"No little one, he would not be able to recall such things. He is probably just angry that he fell ill, and was having to be tended to by you; a member of his brother's pack of all things. I assure, it is a pride issue," said Touga with as much confidence and mirth that he could come up with. The woman was surprisingly astute when it came to people lying to her. Or maybe she was just abnormally suspicious with him, both would be understandable. Either way, he had kept himself from completely lying to her. It more than likely was a pride issue for his eldest, one he was eventually going to have to get over.

Kagome turned back towards her destination and started walking again, this time much more security in her sway than she had been displaying previously. This did not mean that something was not on her mind. Briefly, he wondered what the little one before him could possibly be worrying over now. Touga kept a slight distance as her frown increased with each step. Finally, she stopped mid hallway.

"Something bothering you little one?" he asked, amused that she was getting frustrated over who knows what. The woman's mind worked in ways that he would never understand.

She looked at the drapery, "The demon village, it must have been heavily damaged during the battle with Naraku."

Touga nodded his head in agreement while letting her continue on with her thoughts, wherever they may be leading her.

"Demons do not usually live in towns like that, so they must have been extremely civilized, as well as cultured. I cannot imagine what the destruction would do to their town. Many will probably have to leave the village and travel as nomads, as so many other demons do," reasoned Kagome.

"Indeed, it is rare for so many demons to live together. There are perhaps three villages in all of Japan. Most cannot live in such close quarters since demons are territorial, often require a pack leader to rule over them and see human culture as weak. It will be a shame to see such a village disbanded," agreed Touga.

He began walking down the hallway once again when he heard Kagome's feet shuffle. He was mildly surprised though, when he did not feel her presence next to him. Instead she was standing next to a drapery, holding the dark material in her hands and gently pulling it through her fingers.

Suddenly her eyes lit up and she smiled. In an instant she was running down the halls for some unknown destination. Kagome quickly turned left and right, determined to find who she was looking for. Of course she already knew where he was, and it was one of four rooms that she actually knew in this place. The downside was that the man was undoubtedly with a certain someone else that she had no desire to see right now, but, you take what you can get. Besides, technically speaking she should probably let said person she was avoiding know that he was about to spend a lot of money. This needed to be implemented as soon as possible, before any demon's left their village. If even one key person went missing then everything could fall apart in a snap.

Before anyone could stop her Kagome opened the door to the familiar study. Inside sat two figures, Jaken and the infamous Lord Sesshomaru of the Conceited. Both seemed slightly appalled to see her there, and normally Kagome would make a point of Sesshomaru's break in character but right now she had bigger concerns. Right now she was busy trying to save the demons in her time by saving the only civilized bunch she had come across in this one.

"I hate your decorations, I am redoing your entire castle," she stated happily to Sesshomaru, like she wasn't telling a man that he had horrible taste and was about to spend a hell of a lot of his money to fix it. It briefly crossed Kagome's mind that this must be what marriage felt like. If it was, no wonder girls always wanted to get married so young. This was fun.

Sesshomaru's eye brow rose just slightly, almost challenging her to continue. It was rather refreshing to see his expression, in Kagome's opinion anyway. He had spent so much time in the past few days avoiding her in anyway possible that she actually felt herself disappointed. While she had never expected a thank you from him, she had expected a little bit more respect than what he had been offering her. She had been given the sideways glances, his blatant refusal to look her directly in the eye and sometimes he would just flat out leave the room when she entered. Honestly speaking, it was somewhat refreshing to actually catch him looking at her.

While she was contemplating his odd behavior, and his previous unspoken statement that in her mind gave her permission to flat out challenge him, Jaken cut in before she could take him up on his offer, "Lady Kagome, my master Sesshomaru is much too busy to think about anything like bedding linen. You should-"

Kagome rolled her eyes at his argument, somehow missing Sesshomaru's surprised look at how the toad addressed her. No fowl comments? No unsightly praise? Was Jaken perhaps sick as well? The disease had not completely left the castle yet, so it was a possibility.

"Can it Jaken, this place is morbid. It feels like we live underground and I for one, have slept under the bright sky for the past couple of years and would like to continue breathing the fresh air, not hallways that remind me of dingy caves I usually get held hostage in. Besides it's a little hard to breathe any of that _wonderful_ fresh air when the already unbelievably depressing drapery are ordered closed. Which by the way, I don't understand that logic. Shouldn't everyone elses's noses be sharper than mine? You have got to notice the stale air the deeper you get into the castle. Is it supposed to be an intimidation tactic for visiting diplomats? Cause if it is than its perfect, as long as there are no women in the world. Men, yeah, they'll fall for it but you have to be way sneaker when it comes to my particular gender. Now, we all know I am a puny little human incapable of lifting a chopstick, let alone something as heavy as sheets, so I am going to need some money to hire some help," she said happily, completely ignoring the fact that she just insulted herself.

Sesshomaru placed the parchment in front of him down and sighed. Much to her dissatisfaction the man had once again let his gaze drop. His eyes quickly reverted towards the back window in an attempt not to look at her, "Woman, even if I were to grant you this insane request-"

She cut him off almost immediately. While she was angry that he wasn't agreeing with her, she was way more riled up over the fact that he had once again refused to give her the common decency of facing her head on, "Actually, I was talking to Jaken, he is in charge of at home affairs isn't he? You just sign whatever he gives you like any other person with not enough time on their hands," she said sneakily, using her and Jaken's conversation earlier in order to get her way. It was a quality that every proper woman was born with, the ability to get their way one way or another. Kagome, for the sake of her honor, only used this power for good…usually, and currently Jaken was the person able to grant her this particular want. They both knew that Kagome was temporarily filling the role of 'Lady of the West', without Sesshomaru's knowledge or consent, and was asking him because she needed the funds, not the approval. "So I'm thinking I'll just take the money and go."

Sesshomaru's head all but whipped around to face her. He glared at the abnormally defiant woman in front of him who dared to overturn his authority in his own home, "Jaken answers to me, we are not wasting funds to fulfill some little girls wish to decorate a castle. I have more important things to consider."

Kagome gave her own glare, hell bent on having her way, "Listen, I can do this with your approval or I can do this behind your back. Either way, the town originally attacked by Naraku needs money to keep their city functioning and I need decorators for this horrible place you call a house. The way I see it, your best option is to actually listen to me, maybe get off your stupid cloud for one minute, and realize that most the things I argue about are for a legitimate cause."

Quiet honestly, Kagome was sick of dealing with him. Hell, she had cared for him, tended to his every need, put up with his less then humorous antics and still managed to come out with her only slightly worn dignity intact. Maybe it was time they had a heart to heart, and by heart to heart, she meant that she was going to do a bit of talking, and he was going to shut up and listen like it was the fricking first day of school.

"I don't know why you think I am some brainless woman with nothing but an agenda to piss you off but if your nose weren't so damn high in the air maybe you would see that I have done nothing to fulfill that particular assumption of me. In fact, if you recall, I did not have to take care of you, I did not have to agree to working with you, I did not have to save your damn life. I did it because that's just who I am. If you were paying attention to any fact about me other than my humanity you would have realized that every decision I have made, or agreed to, has benefited someone in someway. Inuyasha working with the guards keeps him out of your hair on the political side of things, me having Hiko protect Miroku during the attack opened a line of communication between demon and human that we desperately needed if our forces were not going to fall to Naraku within the first five minutes. Everything I have done is quite honestly, helping you more than it does anyone else, your house, your guards, your land. I would really appreciate it if you would actually consider the fact, that maybe, just maybe most of what I do is for a reason even if you don't see it at the moment."

To say she was angry was an understatement. It was all true. She had done nothing but help, and she did not appreciate the way he was treating her. Kagome looked over to her right and saw a bag of gold coins sitting by the door. From what she could tell they were part of the financial inventory she had done last night for Jaken's monthly report. Remembering the bag, mainly because the design on it was gorgeously sown, and the amount she had placed it in, she quickly scooped it up and glanced over at Jaken, "Take 47 gold pieces out of the treasury amount."

Then she left the room with only the tiniest bit of regret for yelling like that. The rest of it was full on pride for standing up for herself. She had been putting up with dogs for way too long to keep lying down like she had been. Screw submission and everything that came with it, she would always be a fighter to the end. If that meant she needed to tell a certain canine exactly how she felt, then so be it.

Of course, she would probably regret it in a few hours but for right now…damn that felt good.

* * *

Jaken did not move, did not breath as Sesshomaru sat in the middle of the room with a blank stare on his face. This was not good. Before Lady Kagome had walked in Jaken had already slipped up. He may have mentioned the time when Lady Kagome had ran out of the room covering her mouth, it was a mumble, under his breath really. Of course with Lord Sesshomaru's superior senses everything was heard by him, even when spoken within the content of your own mind, let alone out loud. So, he had already been walking on thin ice before she entered, now he was as good as dead.

Jaken carefully looked back at his master in wonder. Even with his life about to be ended something still nagged at him, something that was just plain off. She had yelled at him, his Lady had scolded his Lord like a little child and Sesshomaru had done nothing. He had not retaliated, he had not threatened bodily dismemberment and his poison was yet to be dripping dangerously on the floor. Jaken knew that this was not normal, especially considering it was Lady Kagome that had bad mouthed him. Sesshomaru had never been one to hold off on threatening her…perhaps if he were to live longer than a few more seconds this new development could be something to look into further.

Jaken watched as his Lord's face remained as stoic as ever, never flinching once in thought like so many others tended to do. Nothing seemed to deter Lord Sesshomaru from whatever thought process he was currently going through. It scared Jaken to no end. His Lord had never been one to just sit like he was stuck. He had never been one to take an argument lying down, and he sure as heck had never done it for a prolonged amount of time.

Briefly, Jaken wondered if he could make it out of the room without Lord Sesshomaru noticing, since he did not want to become the demon's new practice target. Perhaps then he really could look into the matter of Lord Sesshomaru's strange behavior further. All he needed to do was get out of his Lord's immediate range of sight and he should be fine. Someone else could take the fall later.

So, as discretely as he could, Jaken took the tiniest of steps to the right and towards the door.

Before his foot even had the chance to touch the ground Jaken was picked up and hurled into the nearest wall, which was previously a good seven feet away. Jaken immediately reached for his neck as claws began digging into him painfully, but he was not deterred as he continued to try and scratch his way out of Sesshomaru's grasp.

"How did she know the amount of funds in the bag Jaken?" asked the golden-eyed Sesshomaru.

Jaken tried to gulp but couldn't due to the hand blocking his throat's airway.

"S-s-" he tried but could not get anything out.

"She has been doing your job, hasn't she?" asked Sesshomaru in a much calmer manner than even he anticipated. "I have had no complaints about the staff, and meals have been coming at the correct time everyday, properly prepared for once. I also have noticed that the house is much calmer as of late, less worry in the air. The gardens are well tended and you have not been tripping over yourself with questions for me. Tell me now Jaken, is this the wench's doing?" growled Sesshomaru.

Jaken tried to speak but couldn't so he did the next best thing; nodded his head like crazy. In an instant he was dropped to the floor where he could properly gasp for the much needed air. The moment he caught his breath Jaken turned to his ruler, "I am sorry my Lord. We thought of telling you, but both of us could only see it ending badly. She wanted to help and knew you would never agree. Then you became ill and she had to take care of-"

Jaken clamped his small hands over his mouth in an attempt to stop his ramblings. He was already as good as dead why was he making it worse by talking about that particular subject?

Sesshomaru's overbearing growl was enough to make him curl up into a ball and cower. There was no way this would end well for him, there was just no way. He knew his Lord's temper and it was not an easy one to combat. Surprisingly enough, Lord Sesshomaru turned towards the open window and away from Jaken. He was obviously still upset but was attempting to control his rage. What was spurring on this new bout of pacifism Jaken did not know but full heartedly prayed that it remained. "How long have you two been deceiving me?"

Jaken gulped, "…Since the fiasco."

The great demon lord's eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared out the window. His attention turned away from Jaken as the familiar scent reached his nose. He watched as the woman stepped outside, mumbling something to herself as she kicked random pebbles across his garden. Deciding that he did indeed want to know what she was saying, he listened to the words no normal creature would ever be able to understand.

"That pig headed stupid mutt," she said while kicking a pebble. Then she scrunched up her nose and glared at a tree. Her voice suddenly went deeper and Sesshomaru could only imagine that she was attempting to imitate him, "I'm the mighty demon Lord. I need no one because needing help is the same thing as being pathetic. In fact, I am so superior to everyone else that I don't even need to consider their opinion, or their reason's or their freaking feelings!"

By now she had reverted to her own voice as she slumped herself against a tree. Sesshomaru watched as she closed her eyes and let out a large breath of air. With the release he saw a mountain of tension expel from her body. The demon lord watched her muscles relax, her face lose its frown and her shoulders slump. She then pulled her knee's up to her chest and watched a bird as it flittered from tree branch to tree branch up above her head, "He's such an idiot some times. I swear, him and Inuyasha may not admit they are brothers but anyone with half a brain could see how similar they are. Oh, they are different for sure but not as much as they would like to think. Both are too proud to ever admit they were wrong, or need help. They are alpha's to the extreme."

Kagome suddenly looked towards her left obviously focusing on something in the distance. She closed her eyes once again and turned back towards the bird, "I don't regret saving him, but I'm not gonna lie and say it was all peaches and cream. I think I had some of the most embarrassing, frustrating and downright dreadful moments of my life with him. That's saying something considering who my best friend is. I don't want a thank you, but at least give me the freaking decency of looking me in the damn eye. Even so…"

Kagome's hand fisted as she pulled a few blades of grass from the ground and brought them to her face, "…I understand why he is the way that he is, probably more than anyone else here."

Her comment made no sense. What did her mind speculate at knowing? She understood him? That was nothing short of a poor attempt at a joke. No human could ever understand the complexities of his mind, let alone one that traveled with his dimwit brother.

"Lady Kagome," yelled Hiko from a distance as he ran towards her, demon speed at the ready. Sesshomaru noticed that the soldier came from the direction she had looked at earlier. It surprised him. Questions followed by questions raided his mind. He still did not know what she meant by saying she understood. She was not a demon, one of royal blood or someone with skills like his. She knew nothing about him. Furthermore, how did she know that the soldier was on his way? His demon senses had barely sensed it, so how had her pathetic human ones come across his presence?

"My Lady, I was just on my way to find Jaken. I guess there is a dispute among the gardeners and they are asking for someone to solve it. Something about color combinations…I may have stopped listening," blushed Hiko. If Sesshomaru had to guess he would say that the soldier was in his first few years of service, Hiko was his name. He remembered the demon from earlier, the one that had also defied his orders on behalf of the priestess. How had the woman become so pronounced in his own household? When had they become so loyal to her? It also seemed that the insignificant pup was attempting to gain her favor. Sesshomaru held back a scoff; he could not decide who was the bigger fool, the priestess or the demon.

Kagome just smiled as she stood up on her feet. Hiko had of course offered her his arm but she quickly brushed it off, "I'll be there in a minute. Don't disturb Jaken or Sesshomaru with this, they are busy."

Hiko tried to argue, "But my Lady, Sesshomaru should be-"

"Working on more important things. Trivial disputes like this will just deter him from things he should actually be focusing on. In fact, from now on bring things like this to me, I will take care of them," she said while brushing her backside to get rid of any dirt. "Also, contact the village that was attacked, I have a job for them. I am going to need as many men as they can spare without crippling their village further, their best weavers and at least three women to head to other villages to buy some goods. Tell them that Lord Sesshomaru will be funding all of their work until he is satisfied with the outcome."

Hiko blinked a few times in confusion, "He's going to employ them? To do what?"

Kagome smiled, "Redecorate."

Hiko looked up towards the castle and much to Sesshomaru's surprise said silver haired demon hid behind his window frame. Why he was hiding in his own castle he never really would comprehend, all he did know was that this conversation would more than likely be over if either person discovered their Lord was listening.

"The castle always did freak me out. I always felt like I was walking into a war zone or something," shivered Hiko.

Kagome's smirk intensified, "It ever scare any of the females that you knew?"

Hiko was obviously trying to remember the last time he had spoken about home décor with a woman. "No, my sister just said something about needing a woman's touch, laughed a little and went back home."

Kagome looked back up towards the sky and shook her head in mirth, "His life would be so much easier if he just listened to me."

It was only when both soon to be beheaded soldier and the manipulative bitch turned their heads towards his window in wonder that Sesshomaru realized he had let lose a frustrated growl.

* * *

Kagome was ecstatic. The renovations were going amazingly well, they were actually ahead of schedule and oh my god, you would not believe some of the fabrics that the women had purchased in neighboring villages. She honestly couldn't have asked for anything better.

Kagome walked through the halls happily as she waved to passing workers. Her smiles brightened even more as she watched them hang the dark blue tapestry with gold trimmings along the edges of the windows. She had decided to stick with a slightly darker color in this hall since it did lead to the war room. There was a tactical advantage to how Sesshomaru had decorated before, but it only came into play when dealing with men. It made sense to keep the same mind set when it came to 'boy time' as Kagome so wonderfully dubbed it. Of course, she still lightened it up significantly with the touches of gold and red everywhere. The red was more than a conscious decision when picking colors since it was not only a symbolism for blood, but also a color that Sesshomaru tended to wear in his wardrobe. The gold on the other hand was a must. It was in Sesshomaru's best interest to have the flashy color decorating his house. It would remind visitors of Sesshomaru, of his face, of his glare and of his power. Kagome had always said that the brother's most striking feature had been their eyes, and this was a sure proof way to remind people that the Lord of the West could be anywhere, watching your every move.

To say she was proud of herself was a huge understatement. For most of her life Kagome had scoffed at her grandmother's insistence to take decorating classes but now she saw the importance. While under normal circumstances a woman would only have to worry about taste, in any higher up or political scene it was a very different story. It all came down to subtle hints, displays of power to one another and above all, it created a pecking order.

"My Lady!" yelled Rika as she ran towards the black haired human.

Kagome, who despite her lack of sleep was in a very good mood, turned to face Rika in an instant, "What can I-"

Rika grabbed her arm and tried to desperately pull her into the hallway she had just come from, "Please, My Lord will have my head if I do not bring you to him this instant!"

Kagome stopped in her tracks as she processed what had just been said, "Tell me what happened."

Rika, who was already flustered as it was, turned towards Kagome, "Lord Sesshomaru has demanded to see you at once. I was in the study pouring him his afternoon tea like usual when he suddenly went into a rage. He seemed very angry and destroyed the letter in his hand with his poison as if it was hell sent. He then turned towards me and demanded I find you immediately. Please, I am afraid that-"

Kagome placed her hand up to Rika's lips to silence her, "Please calm down. In the back cupboard in the kitchen there is the ginger tea I had him drink while sick. Brew in some ground up willow bark before you bring it to him in the study. Hopefully the plant will have the same calming effect on him it did while sick. I will head over right now, just bring the tea when it is done…and also know that I won't let anything happen to you."

Rika nodded slowly, thankful for the calming presence Kagome had. So, she held back her tears of fright and quickly walked towards the kitchen intent on following her mistress's orders.

The moment Rika was out of sight Kagome's panic fully set in. What the hell? Why in the world would he ever want her? Was he finally deciding to kill her off? It certainly sounded like it. Of course, she always thought the stoic demon Lord would give her the honor of a public execution, where there would at least be witnesses to look on sorrowfully during her demise. It looked like she was instead going to be killed back alley style, with nothing but the clothes on her back.

She mentally growled to herself. Well this was just great, she was going to die in a time that wasn't her own, without a high school diploma and her body would probably be discovered 500 years in the future by her own flesh and blood. Why oh why did she never listen to her grandfather's ramblings about how dangerous demons could be? No Kagome, let's just play with them instead. Let's taunt them and think that nothing will ever come of it.

"Relax little one, I am sure he is just angry about how much you have been spending. It went way over the initial budget," laughed Touga. Unfortunately it wasn't his usual laugh, in fact, it seemed rather forced.

Kagome, being the astute person she was immediately caught on and glared, "I'm going to be really pissed if your son kills me."

The same forced laugh was all that came out of his mouth. Well that was certainly comforting. What was he going to say next, that death wasn't really all that bad?

Kagome quickly turned the corner and marched forwards. Touga, seeing the problem immediately stepped in her way and pointed towards the other direction, "Wrong way little one."

She quickly gave him the most death insinuating glare he had ever witnessed. Kagome then swung on her heals and turned down the correct hallway, "Do not correct me when I am yelling at you! I swear, if he kills me for no god damn reason you are who I am coming after. I will strangle, maim, decapitate and do all those other things that I am currently unable to do thanks to the fact that you are dead. Of course, if I die that won't be an issue anymore now will it?"

The same forced laugh came out of his mouth, "Come now, I haven't been that bad now have I?"

Kagome didn't even have time to rebuttal his statement, she was too caught up by the fact that she was already standing in front of Sesshomaru's study.

Stupid study.

So, somehow she managed to pull up her big girl panties and knock on the door. To any observer she would have looked like a prime example of what it means to be calm. She was standing straight, a fighting glare was already firmly in place and she was more than ready to use her useless human nails to claw herself out of a situation. Of course, on the inside she was shaking like a newborn calf about to go one on one with a pack of wild wolves.

Not even a few seconds later Sesshomaru's voice radiated around the hallway, "Come in."

Her stomach dropped. Oh god, he sounded clam. That's never a good thing. That meant he had already thought this through and wasn't going on impulse. Well that just ruined her day. She could work with impulse, hell, she thrived on it. It was the thought out processes that always got her into trouble.

So, with one quick breath Kagome opened the door and stepped into the room. Before she even had a chance to look Sesshomaru in the eyes Kagome was pleading her case, "I know what you are thinking, I spent way too much money and in retrospect, yeah, I probably did. On the same note, this is your house, it needs to look nice and if you have to spend some extra gold pieces on fabric-"

"Woman," attempted Sesshomaru.

Kagome, determined to defend herself just continued, "Okay, so maybe it's not even about the money. You are probably all miffed up that you have so many workers in your house. They are making a lot of noise, eating your food and disrupting your work. Honestly speaking though, you are doing these people a world of good. Okay, forget the good thing I forgot who I was talking to. You are furthering your own race's success-"

"Wench," sighed Sesshomaru as he continued to look at her in what could almost be described as mirth. If she had been paying attention she would have noticed that Sesshomaru was more than a little amused at her antics.

Kagome sighed dramatically in her attempt to get this right, "No, it's not that. Alright maybe it's how I really haven't been attending my kitchen duties, but honestly, it's not like you eat my food or anything. The other servants are more than happy to cook something that actually requires fire and heating things up, not to mention that I still tend to make snacks every once in a while. By the way, did you know that the kitchen workers ate my pie? When I first started working here? I think after eating my food without my permission that they totally owe me-"

Sesshomaru's eyes visibly rolled. Now it was just getting plain ridiculous, "Kagome."

Kagome's mouth immediately shut as she finally looked him in the eyes, a feat she had been avoiding miraculously enough. He was sitting behind his desk hands folded underneath his chin, eyes completely focused on her. Before him was what appeared to be something that this era must relate to an envelope but there was obviously nothing inside of it. She could only guess that the former letter Rika had mentioned had previously sat in it. Then again, a missing letter was not her biggest concern right now. Kagome finally looked back up towards Sesshomaru in awe, "You know my name?"

Sesshomaru stood gracefully while grabbing the paper in front of him, "It is rather hard to miss with how much Inuyasha yells it."

Kagome's gaze stayed locked with his, "So you just _enjoy_ calling me fowl names? I mean, at least before I could give you the benefit of the doubt-"

Suddenly said envelop was thrust onto her chest, effectively cutting her off. She looked down to see that Sesshomaru was holding the very nice piece of stationary to her breasts. Even though she knew that Sesshomaru would never initiate any type of sexual anything with her, the blush remained on her face. Did he have to put his hands there? He couldn't just hit her in the forehead or something?

"This is a letter from a man I have stationed to look after my territories. For years my father employed others to govern the area's that he could not always see to; I have continued on this tradition because it is useful. It allows me to govern without actually having to be there," Sesshomaru pulled away his hand. Kagome quickly grabbed the sheet before it fluttered towards the ground. Briefly she inspected it but there was obviously nothing to be had, all there was on the paper was a seal and Sesshomaru's name. Perhaps one of his lands were in danger? An attack? Was Naraku already on the move again?

By the time Kagome looked back up Sesshomaru was facing the window, his back turned towards her, "This method does leave me with a few…disadvantages to my own person though. I must often entertain them…and their daughters. In one weeks time four of the families will be joining us. Typically it has been up to myself and Jaken in the past to see to their time here. We have found that if their time is not adequately filled they often seek me out personally."

Kagome's eyes widened as the situation hit her. Oh my god, you had got to be kidding her. Was she dreaming? Was someone waiting with a camera or something? Maybe there was an equivalent to Ashton Kutcher's 'Punked' in this era. That was the only explanation for what was happening. This could not be real, this was a million times stranger than when she fell down the well for the first time of that she was certain, "They are trying to get you to mate one of them?"

Sesshomaru turned back towards her and away from the window. In a mere flash he was standing before Kagome eyes narrowed and claws flexed, "It is customary for someone of my status to mate with someone of their lineage. Their families would know the land, they would remain strong allies and it would be a match of powerful breeding. They see the advantage in my favoring one of their daughters and gracing her with title Lady of the West."

Kagome nodded her head as everything sunk in, "So, have any of them actually _met_ you before?"

His glare only intensified.

Kagome threw up her hands in mock surrender, "I'm just saying that you are not the nicest person in the world. If it was my daughter I wouldn't want her stuck with someone so…" she looked at Sesshomaru up and down quickly before turned her attention back to his face, "well, you. You don't exactly come off as the dotting _anything_ type."

Sesshomaru then did something very unlike him, in fact, for a minute Kagome would have called it a very human act for him to do. She of course held her tongue. Somehow she had already escaped death once today; she was not going through that process again.

The man ran his fingers through his hair, obviously frustrated at the situation. "In the past I have tried to deal with the situation. I often had to take time away from my own work to entertain them, I would rather spend my day with all of them at the same time then being alone with one. They are more…persistent on their own."

Kagome could only image how bad it had gotten. She knew how hard women worked in her time to get the man that they wanted. The primped, the pawed, they pulled out each other's hair, they would drug someone, they would claim pregnancy…you know, she had never really felt bad for Sesshomaru before this point in all the time they had known each other. Ever since the man had pretended to resurrect Inuyasha's dead mother Kagome could never find it in her heart to have much sympathy for the demon lord but even she couldn't leave him to face this alone.

Of course, the slimy bastard was going to have to work for it.

"You know, I know girls like that. They can usually get pretty bad, but a lot of it is stimulated by urgings from the mother. If you want to do anything about that I suggest you start at the root of the problem," she said casually while looking at her nails. "You will need to find a way to prove your dominance to them, no, I take that back. You will need another female to prove dominance, or at least protection for you. Typically a mother would do that but I am guessing that is not happening. Perhaps you can find someone else."

Sesshomaru stiffened at her words.

"Explain."

Kagome could have flat out laughed at the hope in his voice. Whoever thought this day would ever come would have been labeled a complete loon by everyone around them. At the same time Kagome could not help but think that everything the two of them had been through together was finally settling in with him. Perhaps he would look at her like and ally from now on instead of an accessory to an enemy, "I get it, you're a man so none of this makes sense but not having a lady of the West is really hindering you. It's not just about decorating or controlling the staff, it is about doing all the things that your husb-mate cannot," she said, quickly correcting herself.

It was moments like this that she felt like she was channeling her grandmother, but honestly speaking the woman had a point. "Most battles don't happen on a battlefield, they happen at dinner, or homes or on a family walk. You men sit in a war room for a couple of hours and talk plans but a woman has the ability to convince her mate of anything she wants all night and possibly the next day. She knows all the tricks to get him to agree with her and disagree with his friends. She also knows that if she wants something done she needs to convince the other women of her point of view so they can convince their hus-mates. Mind you, it's a technique typically used sparingly because too much use can backfire, but it's a technique none the less. Men have their swords to slash, hack and dice their enemies in order to get their way. Women on the other hand have their mouths where they can gossip, instigate or belittle to get their way. In both instances it is a superiority issue, who can get the most allies, it's just done differently. By not having a Lady of the West it is like going into battle with no armor, it leaves you vulnerable."

Sesshomaru continued to stare at her in wonder, "Are you telling me to mate?"

Kagome shook her head 'no', "Of course not. You obviously don't trust any of these women and an attempted relationship with any of them would just backfire in the end. You need someone that you can work with, not against. You don't need someone trying to control you or trying to manipulate those around you. Instead you should find someone that you trust absolutely, that will prevent others from even attempting to use those techniques around you. I am just letting you know that it's an uphill battle, you are at an extreme disadvantage."

Sesshomaru slowly walked over towards his desk where he smoothly sat down. It was only after a few minutes of thought that he turned back toward the human in front of him, "How do you know these things?"

Kagome smiled, glad that he was for the time being anyways, treating her like and ally and not a nuisance, "My grandmother is one of those women, and tried to raise me as one. Obviously it didn't work out the way that she planned."

Sesshomaru motioned for her to sit down across from him. She did so almost automatically, glad to be invited and not just bursting in on him like she normally did. "You come from a high social standing where you come from?"

Kagome didn't even catch his subtle reference towards her home, she instead answered truthfully. "I guess you can say that. My father's side is very well off, my mothers was typical working class. My father was banned from ever coming home after the marriage to my mother, unless he divorced her, but for some reason my grandmother took pity on her half-breed granddaughter. I've had to spend every summer with her since before I can remember. By the way, tutors in the summer when everyone else is out playing is so not the way to your granddaughters heart."

Sesshomaru's eyebrows rose slightly, "You are educated then?"

Kagome, finally catching on that he was fishing, but not deeming his questions worrisome, continued on, "Yes, most people are schooled in some manner from where I come from. You are considered rather inadequate if you don't gradate from school. It's one of the things that I am still trying to convince your brother of; he just doesn't see it as important. I guess it just shows the differences in how we grew up."

The silver haired demon nodded once again, seemingly incapable of voicing his thoughts out loud. Quite truthfully this annoyed her to no end, Kagome like to know what people were thinking.

"You will take care of the schedule for our arriving guests, they arrive in one week's time," Sesshomaru then turned back towards his mountain of paperwork, effectively dismissing her.

Kagome instead of leaving stayed exactly where she was. She didn't move when he started to work on his papers, she didn't even fidget when Rika re-entered the room and poured more tea and surprisingly enough she did not move when Inuyasha walked into the room.

"What is going on?" asked Inuyasha as the door slammed open. "Some maid was all hysterical in the halls saying you did something to Kagome."

Sesshomaru looked up from his work and then back towards the priestess, who much to his displeasure was not only still sitting in front of him but glaring her poor little heart out. "She is being difficult and will not leave my presence, remove her."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, then back at his brother. It only took a moment to figure out what had happened. Of course, he had known Kagome for quite some time so it was obvious to someone like him. Sesshomaru on the other hand probably had no idea what was going on. Inuyasha, seeing the problem like a bull's-eye on his elder siblings back, just shook his head. "I'm not one to help you, but I've been there and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Little secret Sesshomaru, Kagome is never told what to do. Unless you ask, well, at least somewhat nicely you are going to regret it."

Sesshomaru looked back towards Kagome, who was still giving him a glare fit for a relative of his, then back at his younger brother, "Tell your wench that she is to know her place in her Lord's castle. A woman of her status is meant to serve and do as I demand. I do not _ask_ for anything."

A sudden slamming noise brought his attention back towards Kagome. When they both turned Kagome was on her feet, both hands pushing her up from the desk in front of her. Without a word said woman turned towards the door as she silently walked out of the room. It was only after a few minutes of dead silence that Inuyasha turned back towards his brother.

It was odd for Sesshomaru to put up with such a blatant disregard for his status and authority, especially from a human linked to his brother's pack. Inuyasha couldn't lie; the whole interaction he had just witnessed was a little more than odd. Kagome had of course been her normal defiant self, but Sesshomaru was a little more than off. What was with Kagome even being in Sesshomaru's study anyways? That particular fact hadn't escaped his notice despite his lack of comment on it. It was something he was going to have to think about later because right now there was something he needed to say to Sesshomaru in relation to Kagome.

So, with an air of arrogance surrounding him, Inuyasha informed Sesshomaru of his folly, "You are going to regret that."

* * *

Kagome slowly stepped out of the washroom as she checked the corridor from each side. Trust her to once again forget all of her clothes. So yes she had a towel and yes she had an extra pair of underwear and yes she had stolen something similar to a bath robe but this was just plain embarrassing. How many times could she do this? It wasn't even like she was in her own house walking around, no instead there were all sorts of soldiers running around more than willing to see her half naked. It was like she enjoyed awkward situations or something.

She took maybe two steps outside of the room before she ran into something hard. Kagome was thankfully caught unexpectedly before she fell, a strong grip grabbing her around her upper arm. When she opened her eyes Kagome was more than surprised to see Laski standing before. "Oh, I'm glad it's you, anyone else would have been embarrassing. Knowing my luck Sesshomaru would have walked around the corner."

Laski blinked a few times before turning her attention back towards Kagome. Then the woman did something completely unexpected and more than out of character…Laski leaned in and sniffed Kagome's hair. Kagome's natural instinct was the pull back, she did have this crazy thing called personal space after all, but she managed to suppress her urges. While her friend may be freaking her out she knew not to make sudden movements with demons when they are acting strangely.

Finally Laski pulled back. Much to the priestess's surprise the woman's eyes were closed, a small smile on her lips and a look of pure bliss on her face. Kagome, not understanding what was happening pulled her arm from the woman's grasp and smiled awkwardly, "Alright, well I am just going to finish up some paperwork for Sesshomaru. I don't know if you heard but we are having a few guests in about a week's time."

Laski opened her eyes and nodded almost dreamily.

Kagome, so caught off guard that she was having a hard time not tripping over her own feet, stepped back slowly. When she turned around and headed towards her room she couldn't help the shutter that rolled down her back. What was that?

Touga, who had been waiting for her outside of the bathing area shook his head. Well this could certainly complicate matters. He hadn't been expecting this particular stage in his plan for at least another three weeks. The woman was speeding up everything. And why wasn't Inuyasha or Shippo waiting outside the door like they normally were? If they continued to deviate from his plan like this there was no telling the outcome.

Touga watched as Laski's smile grew, her eyes following Kagome as she took another long sniff. He shook his head, well maybe if he was lucky Laski would keep this to herself.

* * *

Kagome sat down at the breakfast table ready to do business. She had a whole entourage to plan for, and only a week to do so. Then there were the added factors that the castle was still being sterilized for any remaining effects of the disease. While no one else was infected many were still weary from the ordeal. They either slept to much or not at all, some had reduced appetites and some could barely lift their swords. Kagome had tried to explain the after effects of being sick but demons were stubborn as hell. How was it that even after a situation like the one they were just in that they could not comprehend recovery time? Briefly she wondered if Sesshomaru was still having symptoms but quickly let the thought pass her.

No, she was still to mad to really care about what happened to him at the moment. As long as he was still alive and breathing she was allowed to be pissed. Honestly, how dare he speak to her like that? No one should be treated like they were worthless or expendable. While Kagome was in a slightly ranting mood she had enough state of mind to realize a golden opportunity when she saw one. If Sesshomaru wanted a seemingly submissive, scheming and manipulative woman to order around like a rag doll, then so be it. She may not agree with her grandmother's ways but she sure as hell knew them.

The doors opened and Kagome looked up just in time to see Sesshomaru and Malik entering the doors, "Shiho and Uza will not be joining us this morning."

Kagome groaned in annoyance. Honestly speaking Shiho's fatherly influence and Uza's blatant humor were the only things that kept her remotely aware during these meetings. So, instead she turned back towards her work. She would deal with these two later, right now Kagome was content to ignore them. It was only until Malik stopped at her side, instead of sitting at the farthest position from her, that Kagome realized something was amiss. "Can I help you?"

Malik crouched down as if in puzzlement, "You smell of the female maid."

Kagome for some reason unknown looked down at her hands. She then pulled her wrist up towards her nose and sniffed. After a few seconds of contemplation she looked back at Malik and frowned, "You're crazy, I smell like me."

Malik then did the unthinkable, it seemed a lot of people were doing that today, and sat down beside her. "Did you talk to the woman today?"

Kagome quickly remembered her bath and then second run in with the woman just that morning. It couldn't have happened more than half an hour ago after all, "I did run into her after my bath, and again a few minutes ago; perhaps that is what you smell. It's not surprising considering how often I work alongside the-"

A high pitched scream resonated throughout the room. Kagome quickly stood up angrily and all but swore at Malik. She was drenched, wet from head to toe, the ice cold water that Laski had poured not ten minutes ago completely soaking her to the bone. Kagome wiped the cold substance that was dripping off her face and practically flung the droplets at the man, "What was that for?"

Malik quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her slightly closer. He then yanked her forwards and sniffed the inside of her wrist. When he finally released her she stumbled backwards, "I am going to be honest, you are freaking me out right now."

Malik leaned back in his cushion, "Smell that Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru, who had been watching the entire interaction with a keen eye nodded, "She still smells of the maid, even though all other scents have been washed off."

Kagome, who was not only confused but also cold, stomped over towards her papers that were thankfully only slightly damp, and grabbed them angrily. "Oh, you just wait, I'm telling Shiho! He is going to be so mad at you two. You guys know that you cannot pick on me, he said so earlier!"

Malik just laughed as she stomped away and out of the room. Oddly enough it was Laski who was waiting for her right by the door. She quickly grabbed something akin to a jacket for Kagome and wrapped it around Kagome's wet shoulders. She did all this while doing nothing to hide the large inhale through her nose at the same time. Kagome wasn't sure what was happening but quite honestly, she hoped it was planning on ending soon.

This was how Kagome once again found herself in the bathroom. After deciding that warm water was the only way she was going to warm up after such an unexpected burst of being cold, Kagome had stripped and made her way into the now heated up tub of water. While it was no shower with steam filling up the room, it was certainly nice. In fact, she wondered if there was a way to stay in here forever. There were no demons, no Sesshomaru, no Malik, no Inuyasha…perhaps she could move her bed here or something.

It was with great remorse that Kagome grabbed the nearest towel and stepped out of the warmth surrounding her. Luckily she had managed to grab a few things of clothes this time, live and learn right. While she was putting it on she saw something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head slightly she pulled out a short red string of hair. Almost automatically Kagome knew it was Shippo's. For some odd reason he loved cuddling into her clothes.

Flicking the hair off Kagome quickly stepped outside, only to once again crash into Laski.

Laski, for her part, seemed slightly put out. She took a few sniffs, closed her eyes, frowned, and then took a few more. Kagome, rather fed up with this whole situation pulled away and grumbled, "Okay," she said while motioning to the two foot space surrounding her, "this right here is my personal bubble. Do not cross it because it is just plain creepy when people do that."

"Woman," hissed a more than familiar voice. After spending so much time in this horrible castle she would know Sesshomaru's voice anywhere, "You are delusional, there is no bubble surrounding your person. Perhaps you should get your senses checked. It is obvious that they are lacking more so than the average human's should."

Kagome turned to see Sesshomaru and Malik both standing there with their arms crossed over their chests. Laski seemed even more petrified than Kagome as she immediately dropped towards her knees and bowed apologetically. In a pleading voice she addressed her Lord, "Forgive me, I will attend to my duties now."

Kagome watched as Laski scurried off, obviously mortified that Lord Sesshomaru had seen such a brazen act from her towards one of his guests, even if she was an unwelcome one. Kagome on the other hand was mortified that both Lords had been standing outside of the bathhouse. How long had they been there? Had they heard her talking to herself? And most importantly why were they there?

Sesshomaru quickly walked up to her, grabbed her arm in a more than rough manner and stiffed the crook of her elbow. Kagome, not liking the fact that her inner elbow was being manhandled unintentionally let her anger surge. While she had been expecting him to realize she did not like being grabbed, she did not anticipate him jumping back as if branded by a hot iron. It was only when the Western Lord pulled his hand up to his face that Kagome saw the burn marks across his entire palm. From what she could see it was quite similar to the time he had attempted to use Tetsuiga, the barrier hurting him in his act of defiance. Furthermore, it looked as if the burn was still spreading. It was growing slowly, as if there was still a small amount of residual power circulating in his system.

Kagome looked down at her own arm in wonder. Had she done that? But that was impossible. Sesshomaru was a very powerful demon and it would take a massive amount of energy to hurt him. Anyone else yes it was possible, him? No chance in hell. When she looked back up Sesshomaru held his arm in his grip and she saw a quick flash of pain on his face. In an instant she was by his side and inspecting the wound. Initially he pulled away but Kagome would have none of it. She grabbed his hand and pulled it to her face inspecting the damage. It seemed the wound had stopped spreading but she could not sense his demon strength coming to fix the damage. She looked back up, "I-I have no idea how I did that. I promise I didn't summon them on you or anything. I may have been angry but I didn't want you hurt. It's just, I'm tired, and frustrated. I am not sleeping and now this whole thing with the people visiting. I, I'm sorry, I must not be in control when I get tired."

Sesshomaru looked down at his hand, "This burn may take a few days to heal. You will have to join me in my study and write my reports while it recuperates."

Kagome couldn't believe it. Days? That wasn't possible. It just wasn't. She had never seen anything take longer than a few hours to heal on him. She of course, voiced the observation.

"…This is different. Holy powers tend to require more energy to rectify and this wound is more severe than ones I have had in the past," Sesshomaru nodded towards Kagome hoping that his words would explain what he meant. "Meet me in my study, I will be there shortly."

Kagome, determined to grab some healing salve on the way, quickly ran in the appropriate direction. She couldn't believe she had actually hurt Sesshomaru and she was determined to make it up to him. What she hadn't noticed was the look between the two demons the moment Kagome had turned her back.

Malik quickly grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and inspected, "I trust you noticed that she now smells of the kit?"

Sesshomaru let the man continue, him being more acquainted with priestess powers than anyone else on the premises, including the priestess herself. While Sesshomaru was not one to ever ask for help, he recognized someone with more knowledge than him. Malik, after his inspection, released the hand and turned back towards Sesshomaru, "The maid was very disappointed as well, she had been waiting for the woman to return from her bath, perhaps to give her the appropriate scent? Her scent seems to absorb another's after she has cleansed herself. I can only speculate that it is a protection technique but it is one I have never heard of. Perhaps it is to hide her own, but why? "

Sesshomaru looked on in the direction Kagome had sprinted off towards, "Did you notice it? The scent she radiated when her powers surged forth?"

Malik shook his head, "No, I didn't."

"…I remember it from when I was sick, though I had thought myself to be hallucinating when I reemerged from the sickness due to its impossibility. It happened after the bathing incident when I attacked. I believe that it is done unconsciously as a protection, a way to keep powerful demons as guards. Her scent is covered and the one who covers it is the only one that can smell her true scent. They in turn protect her."

Malik looked on silently urging Sesshomaru to continue.

"I cannot truly describe it for there is nothing like it. I can say that there is no demon who would not fall prey to it, who would not want to keep it for their own. For her part, whether conscious or not I don't doubt how effective the technique is, Naraku himself would want to keep her close. I understand why Inuyasha was so angry at the fire cat, and why Laski was disappointed to have the scent taken from her senses."

Malik continued to wait for Sesshomaru's response.

"Purity, it was the scent of a pure soul, something us demons have craved since the very beginning of our existence."

Malik's eyes widened, "Impossible, no one is completely pure. It is physically impossible!"

Sesshomaru again looked towards the direction the priestess had traveled, "Perhaps it is a trait that has been in the human community for years but has been covered up, just like hers. Think of it, demons would easily wage war against each other for what she is. Hundreds would die, she would constantly be in danger. It is only logical that subconsciously someone like her would protect themselves so her powers allow only one to catch her scent. They will want to protect her and keep her secret. She is kept from danger, others around her remain safe and her guard is given the reward of her true presence."

Malik couldn't believe his ears, "It is an ultimate form of protection."

Sesshomaru turned towards his fellow Lord, "There must be other times our kind has come across this. Unconscious protection for herself like what she has displayed does not come naturally, it is an instinct that was learned at some point. Check with the other Lords and then the records hall, somewhere there will be something. I in the mean time intend to find out more about the place she calls home."

**

* * *

**

Firevixen73-

Congratulations to those who figured out where I was going with the scent thing, I did get a few correct guesses. So, cookies to all! Also, one of my favorite lines this chapter was the bubble thing, I could only imagine how Sesshomaru would respond to someone claiming a personal bubble. Stuff is finally coming into play! I figured it was time for some of the more serious plot to come into action. I know we all love the bantering but at some point I had to introduce this part of the story. I hope you like! 


	11. Kagome's Breaking Point

_Recap:_

"…_I remember it from when I was sick, though I had thought myself to be hallucinating when I reemerged from the sickness due to its impossibility. It happened after the bathing incident when I attacked. I believe that it is done unconsciously as a protection, a way to keep powerful demons as guards. Her scent is covered and the one who covers it is the only one that can smell her true scent. They in turn protect her."_

_Malik looked on silently urging Sesshomaru to continue._

"_I cannot truly describe it for there is nothing like it. I can say that there is no demon who would not fall prey to it, who would not want to keep it for their own. For her part, whether conscious or not I don't doubt how effective the technique is, Naraku himself would want to keep her close. I understand why Inuyasha was so angry at the fire cat, and why Laski was disappointed to have the scent taken from her senses."_

_Malik continued to wait for Sesshomaru's response._

"_Purity, it was the scent of a pure soul, something us demons have craved since the very beginning of our existence."_

_Malik's eyes widened, "Impossible, no one is completely pure. It is physically impossible!"_

_Sesshomaru again looked towards the direction the priestess had traveled, "Perhaps it is a trait that has been in the human community for years but has been covered up, just like hers. Think of it, demons would easily wage war against each other for what she is. Hundreds would die, she would constantly be in danger. It is only logical that subconsciously someone like her would protect themselves so her powers allow only one to catch her scent. They will want to protect her and keep her secret. She is kept from danger, others around her remain safe and her guard is given the reward of her true presence."_

_Malik couldn't believe his ears, "It is an ultimate form of protection."_

_Sesshomaru turned towards his fellow Lord, "There must be other times our kind has come across this. Unconscious protection for herself like what she has displayed does not come naturally, it is an instinct that was learned at some point. Check with the other Lords and then the records hall, somewhere there will be something. I in the mean time intend to find out more about the place she calls home."_

* * *

Kagome all but paced in Lord Sesshomaru's study while she waited for him. Internally, she could not comprehend what had just happened. She had just injured Sesshomaru, her, as in the know nothing priestess Kagome. It was inconceivable. Kagome brought her hand up to her mouth and began the tell all sign of nervousness, she began chewing her nail. It was a habit her grandmother had spent three years breaking, since you were never supposed to show any outward signs of displeasure, but Kagome thought the moment warranted it.

"He will be fine little one," spoke the calming voice of Touga. It was true that her daily life consisted of him annoying the hell out of her but he did have his moments, and this was one of them.

She turned to face him, worry evident in her entire composure, "I could have really hurt him, and I don't even know why. I don't just attack people like that, it is not in me to hurt others. And where did that power even come from? I have never been able to do anything like that before. He must be so mad at me. This is different than normal, I just know it."

Touga walked over towards the window, motioning for her to join him. In her state of panic, and knowing that there was probably very little that Touga did not know, she joined him. Together they were able to calm her heart rate, somehow managing to get her into a semi-relaxed state. Finally, when her breathing was normal, he pointed her towards the outer window. With a clawed pointed finger he directed her towards an open field of flowers resting about twenty feet away. They were a beautiful mix of colors, everything being represented in some way or another. It was awe inspiring to Kagome, who could not understand how the small and uncared for field had managed to survive in such an orderly place. "They are beautiful to look at aren't they? Rin's favorite past time was running through that field, grabbing what she could. The poor thing would grab the largest batch she could carry and place them on Sesshomaru's desk in whatever she could find."

Kagome glanced over at the flower bare desk behind her, the one littered with documents and black ink. There were no brightly arranged flowers on it to lighten up the room, or anything to make it look even slightly homey, "Sesshomaru allowed this?"

Touga turned slightly, only to rest his back on the open window he had been looking out of previously, "He never said anything to her about it, not once. She would bring them in, and he would nod. One would have thought he was indulging her, but that he truly found it a nuisance. Of course, no one paid attention to the new training exercise for the newer recruits after the first morning that she did so."

Kagome walked over towards the desk and let her hand run along the top, trying to figure out where Rin had placed the flowers. When she finally moved a large stack of papers there was a slight ring on the wood, one from dried water. This must have been the spot, "Training?"

Touga nodded, glad that she was listening, "He would have the recruits sweep through the field for any possible dangers. This could be for enemy intruders to arrowheads. Each morning they would bring him what they found and he would dismiss them. Two hours later little Rin would come in with her handful of weeds."

Kagome was on her knee's kneeling up against the table, "He was protecting her."

It was a concept that was foreign to Kagome, the idea of Sesshomaru actively protecting anyone. While she had known of a few instances where he had gone out of his way for the girl, it always seemed more honor bound than anything. This, this was deliberate and caring.

"Even Sesshomaru knows the deadliness that beauty can hide. Just because the fields looked pretty to the eye did not mean she was safe. There have been many battles over these lands and more than one spear, sword or armor fragment could be left out there for her to step on. You Kagome, are much like those flowers," he tried.

She shook her head and laughed, "What? A short life span?"

Touga knew she was still frustrated but could only give her a few words of wisdom. He hoped they would sooth her to at least some extent, "People, human's and demon's under estimate you. They see a young pretty girl with no formal training. Sesshomaru relates you to every other woman he has met that has fallen under that category. Inuyasha refuses to recognize that often the most beautiful flowers are used in the deadliest of potions. Even Naraku refuses to see you as a threat, instead he sees a toy with the inability to fight back."

Kagome pushed herself back onto her feet and glared at Touga, "If this is your attempt to make me feel better you really suck at it."

"Kagome, you are not weak. Your powers are strong, and it is something that can no longer be ignored. They will keep appearing like this until you find a way to release them. The tree, Sesshomaru and your scent are just the beginning," he said, hoping that at least one of those would catch her attention. His luck was thankfully on track, because her eyes looked at him inquisitively. He was guessing that she had come to terms with the tree, and while still stressing over hurting Sesshomaru she recognized the event. The scent scenario that he had laid was an entirely different thing. She obviously had no idea what he was talking about.

Before she could comment on his strange statement the door leading into the study opened revealing none other than the much talked about Sesshomaru. He stood there in all his glory staring at what appeared to be a specific area on the wall, specifically speaking the window. It was only after she realized that the window he was surveying was the area Touga has seconds ago stood that she mentally went over the situation. His body had evaporated the moment the door slid to the side, but that was indeed where he had been.

Had Sesshomaru sensed him? No, that was impossible. Sesshomaru had been in the same room with Touga before, of that she was positive. There was the time when he had erected the barrier to keep her in the castle, and when she called him all of those names and…there was no way. It would make her life much too simple for it ever to be true.

Instead of thinking about it further she reached into her trusty bag and pulled out a healing salve. While she doubted that it would do much on it's own, perhaps it's combination with her powers would do something. It was true that said powers were what had gotten him here in the first place, but it was worth a shot. "Can I see your hand?"

Sesshomaru's attention slowly refocused on her, his eyes still glancing over towards the seemingly intriguing window. Finally, when he was no longer enamored with empty space, his attention turned back towards Kagome, fully this time, "I do not require your healing regiments."

Instead of listening to him like a good little girl she walked over towards him and grabbed his wrist, the injured one. With minimal pressure she pressed down around the burnt edges and watched him wince, "You are still healing from being sick and you have just been burnt by holy powers, you need all the help you can get."

Sesshomaru tried to pull out of her grip but she pressed down harder, effectively causing her to scrape his injury every time he pulled. He could only imagine the pain he would be in if he used his demon strength instead of toning it down like he was. The only option available to him was to decapitate her where she stood, but then he would not learn of her origins. It was a dilemma he was going to have to sort through, and fast. "Release me woman."

Kagome growled and pulled him over towards his desk, making sure to press down harder than what was needed. While she did not want to hurt him she did want him to accept her help, "You were never this argumentative when you were sick."

She all but pushed him down onto a pile of cushions, hoping to some degree that he would fall over as ungracefully as demonically possible. She was of course, never going to see that happen and pouted when he caught himself with his uninjured hand, "I was delusional when I was sick."

Kagome unscrewed the cap for the salve while grumbling, "Yet still preferable. Now give me your hand and let me help you. I feel bad enough as it is, I don't want you getting an infection as well."

He once again pulled away, causing Kagome to desperately wish for some form of rope. Demon and acid proof rope of course because he was that much of a pain. Who even needs their own type of rope anyways? He was just that difficult. Stupid dog demons and their resistance to everything normal.

Just as she was contemplating calling the whole thing off, Sesshomaru spoke. "I will make you a deal, I will let you place the vile smelling concoction on my person if you tell me about your home land," he negotiated.

Her movements faltered but she somehow managed to steady herself. It was not an offer she was expecting, in fact, she was not expecting any sort of cooperation from him whatsoever. Of course, this was one of a few topics she was hesitant to bring up. Then again, he needed this bandaged and cleaned, whether he said so or not, "If I tell you something, you will let me take care of this?"

"I consider it an adequate trade," he said sternly.

She shouldn't have considered it; it shouldn't have even crossed her mind. Her time period must remain a secret, it had to be protected from predators like him. And let's say she did tell him something, would it alter the course of something? Of history? Would it change what the world was like for her? "I-I live here in Japan."

With movement that should have been far beyond anything a human was capable of she grabbed his hand and placed it on her lap, open palm. She spread open his fingers and surveyed the damage. It looked like a horrible burn, the type people were given massive amount of drugs for. He was probably in an immeasurable amount of pain, not that he would ever voice it. That would be much too human for him to do.

"Continue."

"I live in an old shrine with my family. It has been handed down from my mother's side for years. Needless to say it is a little beat up but we have always managed to get by," she said while dabbing a wet washcloth she had grabbed on her way here onto his hand.

He did not flinch, not once as she pressed down. She was careful while starting around the edges and slowly moving in, trying to trap any dirt.

"Do patrons not come to pay their respects? I was under the impression that the visitors of the shrine offer money when they visit."

It was funny listening to him talk. She suspected that it was rare for him to engage in active conversation. "We have some older families that pay tribute, they have been coming to our shrine for generations. Sometimes we get the random passerby who wants to ask the gods something but where I come from most people don't go to shrines religiously anymore. For us, it is more of a relic of the past than anything else. Appreciated but not really used."

"Many have forgotten the ways of the past then?" She pressed towards the center of his wound and quickly pulled away when she heard a slight growl reverberate through his lips. Kagome immediately tried to apologize, trying to sooth his anger. "It is nothing, my defenses are still down because of the sickness. If I were at my proper medicinal strength this would be healed by morning. Now continue on and tell me about your family."

It was a command, and strangely enough she was going to follow it. So Kagome placed the towel down and pressed her own hand up to his own, determined to make things better, "This may sting, I really don't know what is going to happen."

Sesshomaru looked at her skeptically, "What are you attempting?"

Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated, almost willing herself to fix what she had done, "The same thing I did to heal Uza."

Sesshomaru felt the familiar tingling sensation of holy powers and on instinct alone pulled away. His demonic nature did not trust anything involving holy anything and was keen on keeping him aware. Kagome opened her eyes, a disapproving frown on her face. Sesshomaru growled at her un-asked accusation, "You said that no powers were used to heal Uza of my poison when in the war room."

Kagome grabbed his arm again, daring him to try and pull away like the toddler she was imaging he was. "_I_ never said that, just that you should have sensed it if I did use them. You were all to busy having your little man war to notice."

This time she placed her hand down on his palm and tried to concentrate on her currently non-existent positive feelings. She was not going to focus on strangling him, or tying him to a chair, or making him practice his imaginary manners.

"Man war? What is this infernal term? I assume it is much like your bubble statement. Illogical and unfounded in every conceivable aspect," he argued back.

"I am ignoring everything you are saying. You are just angry that I did not tell you anything significant about my home and feel the intense desire to take it out on me," she tried, determined to win this pointless debate.

"On the contrary, I have learned much about your home. You live on shrine grounds, but know nothing of your heritage. Combine that with the lack of respect that your towns kin show for their history I can only assume that where you come from, things are very materialistic. Very little value is placed on things that hold real significance, but is instead focused on things that will deteriorate perhaps even in a few years. Your clothing is a prime example. The fabric is cheap, and somewhat adequately made but still there is much to be desired. While it is better than most farmers, softer than many merchants it does not hold the finesse of someone of my standing. I would venture a guess that things are made to be replaced where you come from, thus emphasizing my materialistic hypothesis," he said smoothly.

Kagome looked at him wide eyed, trying to follow his logic.

"I can further assume that while you live in the world you were raised, you do not hold on to many of their beliefs. You seem educated in more than just schooling, which in itself is a feet. You come from high standing, though are not willing to flat out admit it. It leads me to believe that while you enjoy nice things they are not what makes you happy. I imagine it was harder to find proper comrades growing up and when with someone you found suitable you were more than likely not being entirely true to yourself. It is why when you discovered yourself in this land, however different it may be from your own home, you managed to adapt. This is a world where value comes to what you have achieved, where pride is paramount. I cannot attest to what it is like to be where you come from, I am guessing that the pressures your home place's on any individual were lifted."

Kagome's mouth still hung open as she listened to his words. Had he really gotten all of that from her few statements earlier? And, was that how people of this time would really see her home? Her country? Her people? "Okay, I will admit it. I severely underestimated you."

Sesshomaru's lip turned up slightly, proud that he had managed to shock her into submission. This was of course a response he had been waiting for, but his nature was getting to him. As much as he enjoyed tormenting her Sesshomaru was curios to learn more. "Tell me of your family, I assume from the way that you care for the fox, that your mother is very prominent in your life."

Kagome blinked once, then twice. She then looked down at her hand, that was now grasping his. Her hand was completely engulfed by his, Sesshomaru's claws wrapping around her own almost protectively. She slowly pulled out and reached for the salve, "I think we should put this on."

Sesshomaru's eyes trailed her movements, as if categorizing her every move. Kagome, for her part was trying to keep her cool. She had misjudged Sesshomaru, he was more intuitive than she had anticipated. "You do not have a father, do you."

It was a statement, not a question. Instead of reacting like she was sure he wanted, Kagome scooped a small amount of product on her fingertips and gently placed them on his burnt hand, "No, I do not. He died some time ago, how did you know?"

Sesshomaru let her continue as the salve was coating his palm. He doubted it would do anything but it would bring the woman comfort, which would relieve some of her stress. The less stress she felt, the better at her job she would be. "Your reaction to Uza is that of a sister. You accept his antics with mirth. Shiho is more understanding then most, something that comes with age. I imagine that you have a grandfather that you relate his caring to. Hama is not kind, she treats you worse than I but you still listen to her implying a strong female role that you were raised to listen to. You see Malik very differently. He is old enough to be a father, shows many of the authoritative traits privy to most parents yet you react to him very differently. It is not hate, nor a lack of understanding. You do not see the reason for listening to him. After ruling out the other's, the only viable option was that male figures are not a form of authority for you."

Kagome ran her fingers through his, trying to get every crevice. It was strange to hear someone analyzing her like he was. She could only suppose it came with growing up like he did. Sesshomaru was undoubtedly having to decipher friend from foe for a very long time. Knowing what motivated them was probably one of the best ways to accomplish that. "My father died when I was around six years old. I loved him very much, I still do, but I don't remember him to any great detail. I live mostly off of what my mother tells me about him."

Sesshomaru nodded once, glad that she conceded to his analysis of her, "It is admirable for your mother to continue on like she did."

Kagome could not help but let lose a small laugh, "Did the great Sesshomaru just compliment a human? You must be on the verge of dying."

Kagome pulled away and looked at her handy work. Everything was covered, now all she had to do was bandage it. She turned around and pulled out a few things of gauze. Sesshomaru watched with curiosity. It looked like many of the tools that were used in his own infirmary but were different. They smelled cleaner and were thinner. "Jinenji created the cream, so it should help. I will just ask him for another batch. The gauze will make sure that nothing touches the wound."

"Jinenji, the half breed that Inuyasha retrieved. He is staying in the back stables on the northern side," he said almost to himself.

Kagome nodded, wrapping his hand and of course ignoring the half-breed comment, "Yes, he is the real one that saved the castle. No one can heal like him. I doubt many doctors at my home could match what he does."

Sesshomaru's head turned towards the window, then towards his desk full of papers, "Start with the pile on the right, then read what you can to me. I will approve or decline, write any changes I mention as well. Cross out with one line, so the original writings can be re-read if necessary, and write to the right hand side of the document you are fixing. If it is a person's name, you will draw two lines through it, but still make it legible. We will come across more as we go, but I will notify you of any changes."

Kagome grabbed the towel used before and wiped off what she could on her hand, glad that their talk of her and her home was over. Watching him pick at her personal life was a little more than unnerving. So she picked up the brush and fixed the holder where most of the black ink was held. Much to her astonishment, Sesshomaru did not say a word. Kagome had always figured him a no-nonsense type of person and he was apparently stalling his start. She looked at him wonderingly, stunned to see his gaze focused intently on her. She was about to ask what his problem was but was cut off by his voice.

"The half demon may have been the one to provide the medicine, but you kept my castle functioning. For that, I am in your debt."

The rest of her time in the room was surprisingly smooth after that.

* * *

To say Kagome was annoyed was an understatement, to say she was going to kill someone was much more accurate. Kagome angrily threw her pillow over her head in an attempt to suffocate herself, or at least her ears. Why were they so loud!

Kagome flung the pillow off her head and it hit the nearest wall loudly. She bolted upright, only to knock Shippo over slightly. Her body immediately calmed when she saw him turn slightly. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him. How he was sleeping through the racket was beyond her, especially with his demon hearing, but if he could then she wouldn't disturb him. She on the other hand was having no such luck.

Flinging the covers on top of Shippo, Kagome steadied her hand from slamming open her door. Briefly she looked at her watch. It was four in the morning, what were they doing awake at four in the damn morning? It was unhealthy if not for them than at least for her. She angrily stomped down the hallway, mildly surprised when the voices didn't get louder but continued to have the same volume. Shouldn't she be getting closer?

"My Lady?" asked a voice to her left.

Kagome turned to face the person who really just should have kept to themselves. Honestly, couldn't they see that she was tired, annoyed and bent on killing whatever had woken her up? So what if she was in a tank top and a pair of booty sleeping shorts. She was just going to have to be one of those action stars that kills everyone with little to nothing on. Was she aware that she was half naked and stomping around the castle? Yes, she knew. More importantly, did she care? At this present moment, maybe a little. But that amount was not enough to deter her in the slightest from her intended target. In the morning she would probably be mortified and blush ten shades of red but right now, she was more concerned about how to get blood out of her favorite sleeping shorts. "Sesshomaru, now."

The maid gulped, sensing her frustration. "They are in the war room. Lord Shiho received a message late in the night and they converged there about an-"

"Hour ago, yeah, I am aware. When did they move to the war room? Maybe five minutes ago?" she asked, already dragging the poor maid with her down the hall.

"N-No, they have been there the whole time," she stuttered.

Kagome stopped in her tracks whipping around to face the person before her, "That is impossible. The war room is on the other side of the castle."

The maid nodded, "Yes My Lady, it is."

Kagome's grip around the woman's arm dropped in wonder. How had she heard them? Was there something wrong with the sealing around the room? Perhaps the sounds vibrated down to the basement area where she was. That had to be it, their argument carried through the walls. But if that was so, where else did it carry? Perhaps to another room, where someone with more investment in Naraku's success could hear?

Kagome was walking towards the war room as each thought passed through her mind. It was only until she reached the sound of louder arguing that Kagome stopped. She growled, wishing that the doors could somehow keep the noise of their fighting down. Honestly, weren't they supposed to be the civilized version of their race? The way she saw it they were no better than human leaders from her time.

Kagome lifted up her fist and banged on the door. To impatient to wait for an answer she raised her other fist and banged repeatedly with that one as well, alternating between the two. She was about to start yelling, just for the heck of it, when the door slid open. When it did she was shocked to see Sesshomaru standing in front of her, a glare on his face. To think, they had such a nice evening together too. So much for warm fuzzy feelings. She lowered her arms and looked around the room, "I just wanted to ask if you four could kindly shut up. I am having a hard enough time sleeping and do not need to hear the four of you arguing any more than I do during the day."

There, she said her peace. Sure there would be things to talk about in the morning, like how the walls carried, but that would be for later. Right now she just wanted to get back to her bed and maybe get 15 minutes in before Shippo woke her up. Kagome was in the middle of turning around and walking away when she felt an arm slither around her waist and effectively hoist her up in the air. She 'eepped' in a very undignified manner, only aware of what was happening because she knew she was not this tall, before Kagome was thrown down onto the middle of very relaxing cushions. When Kagome managed to fish herself out of the mess there were four demon lord eyes on her.

Sesshomaru stepped up first, "Explain."

Her first thought was 'what', explain what? That they were loud? That she needed sleep? That normal humans had a hard enough time getting their required hours and they didn't even have Touga attempting to kill them? "Sleep, human, need."

There, that was basic enough wasn't it? Kagome knew her sarcastic side was coming out, it really made an appearance when she was tired and the last couple of months or so was taking the cake on sleep deprivation records. Really, what were they not getting about this?

Malik stepped forward this time, obviously haggard about something, "How did you hear us woman."

Kagome rubbed her fingers up against her temple in an attempt to sooth her growing headache. It wasn't even morning yet, usually it didn't show up until then. Then again, she normally didn't get stupid questions like this until later in the day, "Alright, I realize that our species are different and you four are superior and all but we do have ears. You know, those things that pick up sounds. Especially loud sounds, like the ones you were just making."

Uza quickly stepped outside motioning to a guard. In a matter of seconds he was back in the room, the door shutting right behind him, "This room is sound proof Lady Kagome. The best demon's in our history have poured their blood into making sure this room is secure."

Kagome threw her hands up in the air, "Well obviously they screwed up because the sound carried through the walls. I swear, if I had to deal with one more minute of growling and threats I was going to lose it. All I want is to go to bed and stay that way."

This time she pushed herself up and once again attempted to walk out the door. Sesshomaru seemed to have the inability to let her go, which was odd considering how much he hated her. "What did we speak of?"

She tried to side step him but his form was too big. The only way she was getting around him was to hop up on the table and pass him that way. Instead of making a fool out of herself she glared at him, "I don't know, I've spent the last hour trying to block it out."

He moved closer and she felt her chances of getting out drop even more. Perhaps she should have stayed in her room and continued to ignore the noise, not that it was doing her any good. "Fine, there was something about troops, and spies. Then Malik lost it and started yelling, Lord Shiho quickly following. Uza for some unknown reason was keeping quiet which probably meant that he agreed with Malik but did not want to admit it, and you were barking orders at everyone because that is what you and your brother do."

This time she really did jump up on the table, intent on walking across it if she had too. She did not want to be here. She wanted to be with Shippo, in bed, dreaming those horrible dreams Sesshomaru's stupid father insisted on giving her. At least then she would be asleep. Waking up every twenty minutes, yes but still asleep. Okay, maybe not asleep since that never happened any more. Sesshomaru, for his part still seemed incapable of letting her be. When she tried to walk past him the silver haired man once again grabbed her around the waist, holding her up onto his shoulder like he had previously. After a few second Kagome felt herself falling towards the same batch of pillows as before.

She fished herself out of it once again, angrily throwing the pillows every which way that pleased her. This of course meant that all but Uza and Shiho had objects being thrown at them since they were standing at a father distance. Lord Sesshomaru and Malik on the other hand made perfect targets. Sesshomaru was her main adversary though, what with the way he was manhandling her. Kagome glared as the remaining pillows bounced off of Sesshomaru like a stone wall, "Stop throwing me around!"

He growled loudly, "Stop trying to leave."

She threw another pillow, "Stop telling me what to do!"

He stepped forward, his acid eating through one of the finely decorated pillows he had caught with his firm grip, "Stop trying my patience."

Kagome grabbed another pillow and held it above her head with both hands. In order to gain the proper height she jumped back up on the table, intent on hitting him square in the face. She knew it wouldn't hurt, no matter how hard Kagome tried, but that didn't mean it wouldn't make her feel better. It would also damage his pride, getting hit in the face by anything at all, forget that it was a pillow. She was in mid-swing, throwing all of her weight and anger into the hit, when a new pair of arms grabbed her around the waist and yanked her to the other side of the room.

The pillow dropped mid air as she attempted to figure out who had the audacity to grab her and deprive her of the one sided pillow fight that would have went down in history. She looked up to see Sesshomaru still standing their threateningly, the bastard hadn't even moved, Shiho looking on in astonishment and Uza's eyes wide in disbelief. That meant one thing, "Put me down Malik or I will bite you so help me!"

His hold did not waver, "Calm down woman."

His voice was calm and for some reason that irritated her to no end. She quickly started to squirm as much as possible, her new goal in life to get away from this damn room and its inhabitants. It of course did not work and it was only after a few minutes of struggle that she calmed down slightly. When she went partially limp his forearms were still holding her still and against hid stomach. Her feet were dangling off of the ground swinging slightly and she huffed angrily.

She hated demons, she really did.

Shiho, who was once again playing mediator stepped up to Kagome. He walked around the thrown pillows and the stoic Sesshomaru. He was finally face to face with her, hanging feet and all, when he spoke. "We received a letter saying that Naraku is moving his armies. My men have not been able to infiltrate so I suggested Malik send in a spy. All we need is their destination, nothing more. He refuses to send in anyone and I obviously disagree."

Malik pulled her towards him, his grip tightening enough for her breath to catch, "You have failed to mention that we have sent in hoards of men, in groups and one at a time. No one has returned alive, most have been found in pieces. I cannot do that to another family, especially if we do not know if the information is accurate."

Shiho of course refuted the argument, intent on making his case. Malik seemed to have the same idea because in a matter of minutes both were at each other's throats. Why men thought that the louder someone got the more persuasive they were she didn't know. Of course, maybe they just seemed loud to her since she was caught in the middle, literally, seeing as she was still being held by Malik.

Kagome's eyes glanced over towards Uza, who was glancing every which way but at the two bickering men. He obviously agreed with Malik but was hesitant to admit it. She quickly bypassed Sesshomaru since she was still mad at him. In her mind, his opinion did not matter in the slightest. Which meant one thing, Kagome was once again going to have to play the referee. It helped that she had a solution to their problem, thank the stars for that.

"I'll ask Shiori to check it out, will that solve the problem?" she tried.

Three pairs of brightly colored eyes turned towards her. Kagome could only assume that Malik had done the same, but she could not see him. Malik's grip loosened and she felt herself being lowered back down to the ground. When her feet touched solid floor Kagome walked over towards the nearby table and picked up a piece of blank parchment. There was of course no ink so she looked at Uza who was standing next to small bottle of it.

He grabbed the ink bottle and brush but did not hand them to her, "Who is Shiori?"

Kagome glanced around the room in annoyance. Shouldn't they know their subjects? She felt like they should. "Shiori is a bat demon in the south. She is actually the leader of an entire tribe. I would say that they total about 65 members, maybe a bit less. They have lived on that land for centuries, and probably fly over the area's Naraku would use to transport his soldiers. Naraku would never suspect them because they keep to themselves and hold no loyalties to anyone in particular. They are natives to the area which means he will let them pass without suspicion."

Shiho stepped forwards, "When we first met, you said that you did not know anyone in the south, let alone a bat queen."

Uza walked over towards Kagome and handed her the bottle and utensil. She quickly started writing down her request as eloquently as she could in such little time, "I lied. You were a stranger, one partnered with Sesshomaru of all people. I just wanted to get out of there."

Malik walked around to her side and glanced at the paper, "What makes you believe she will help?"

The very idea of Shiori not helping out was insane at best. She was the sweetest little thing you could ever come across, not a maleficent bone in her body. The girl idolized Inuyasha for coming out on top as a half-demon and worshiped Kagome for being a strong woman in this era. Shiori would do anything if they requested it. "Her grandfather tried to take control of the clan a few months back, with a few helping tricks from Naraku. The bats will be more than willing to take a blow at him trust me on that. She also idolizes Inuyasha. The boy could tell her to jump off a cliff and she would do it."

Malik scoffed, "Did she see him during the day? I heard most bats are blind when the sun is out."

Kagome sneered as she finished writing the request for surveillance. She didn't know why Malik seemed to hate everything that came out of her mouth, but he did. She could bet that if she said something nice about him he would automatically say something mean back, not even registering that a compliment could come from her. Normally, Kagome would let it go, or would do something undermining to make him stop. Tonight was different, she was tired and her patience was low. When that happened, her temper tended to exceed any form of rational thought.

"Shut up, just shut up. Don't you ever talk about Inuyasha that way," Kagome slammed her hands against the table and pushed herself onto her feet. With one movement she was facing Malik, her wariness and fatigue temporarily forgotten by her mind. Sadly enough her body was still very aware of her exhaustion. Her knee's gave out momentarily, buckling under the stressful weight of her body, but she managed to catch herself last minute.

Malik's eyes flashed red at her tone but they quickly calmed back down when he watched her falter. In all the time she had been in the castle, he had not once seen her waver. She was never hesitant about anything that she did, but there was a new sense of cautiousness in her movement.

After she regained her footing Kagome turned back towards the fellow lords, all of whom were watching her tentatively. Lord Uza was who stepped forward, knowing from his interactions with Nori that human's did not lose their footing under normal circumstance. "Lady Kagome, are you alright?"

In a very un-Kagome like fashion, she snapped at him, "I am fine."

Kagome once again straightened herself, pushing and pulling her clothes in order. She was not one to take something lying down and her tiredness was no exception. She knew what this feeling was, she had experienced it the last time she crammed for midterms. She just needed more sleep, sleep Touga was unwilling to give her. Now that she was back in her own bed, and out of Sesshomaru's, Touga's projections were becoming more and more real, his nightmares were truly feeling authentic. Despite her urges he was no letting up. "I just need you four to stop yelling and let me get back to…"

Kagome's world began to spin and she felt her body become undeniably heavy. She couldn't move her arms, they felt like dead weight. Something was pulling them down to the floor, she could practically feel it. Her entire body needed to rest, it needed to take care of itself. Kagome felt her body hit the hard ground, the pillows that would have broken her fall being long gone thanks to her antics. Her eyes blinked once before the world started to lose focus. In front of her she could make out what appeared to be a man, one with silver hair and gold eyes. She knew those eyes, they were what were causing this whole issue.

Touga.

"I-" she panted once, her body trying to breath properly, "I, think I'm breaking."

Sesshomaru, for his part had no idea what was happening. No one had expected the strong woman known to them as Kagome to collapse before their eyes. No one had anticipated the fall. Reality seemed to hit when her body made contact with the floor. He was immediately by her side, Malik along with him. Both surveyed the area, intending to find something to help them decipher what had happened. Instead she mumbled those crazy words.

He turned to Uza who was staring at the scene like a killing had happened in front of him for the first time, "Notify Inuyasha that something is wrong with the priestess, also, inform the half demon staying in the back."

Uza turned, not even bothering to tell another guard of the situation. He was faster than any of them anyways.

Sesshomaru quickly lifted Kagome off the floor, solely intent on caring her to some form of sleeping chambers. For a moment he contemplated her room but bypassed the idea. Something was wrong and the medic would be unable to fit in the cramped space Sesshomaru had provided her at the beginning of their stay. He would need something big, something like one of his guest rooms. The room to the right of his would work, the archway was large enough for the half-demon and close enough that he could smell-

He stopped, her scent, he should have been able to tell if something was wrong. He took a large gulp of air but could smell nothing other than the scent of fox. Her sickness could be covered up by the fox child. If she was sick, only the one with the ability to smell her would be able to tell. The kit was much too young to know what the subtleties of sickness were. Unless someone was dying he would never had understood that something was wrong.

"Malik, the young foxling's scent is blocking my ability to tell if anything is wrong. Were you able to distinguish anything when she left the bathhouse?" he tried as they together walked out of the room.

Malik shook his head indicating no. The only thing that had lingered was the boy's smell of candy and dried leaves.

Shiho pushed open the familiar door, not commenting on where his friend was placing her. Instead he pulled down the sheets and watched as Sesshomaru positioned her in the well padded bed. "Could this be Naraku? Perhaps he has done something to poison her."

Malik shook his head, "We will wait until the horse demon arrives before we assume anything. Inuyasha will be less likely to do something reckless that way. The last thing this castle needs is a riot, not after the ordeal that it just survived through."

It was of course true. Inuyasha would not be able to contain himself and would attack anything in sight. Add to that the loyalties many of the workers had for her and something was bound to happen. Someone would get blamed and hurt. It would be a perfect opportunity for Naraku to make another strike.

"Kagome?" came a very quiet voice. The three occupants turned towards the sound and watched as the oversized horse demon stepped into the room. He was nervous, obviously not used to being in a room with such powerful beings. His eyes wandered over towards Kagome's unconscious body and his fear automatically ebbed away. Apparently, his safety was less important than the girls.

Sesshomaru, who seemed to have the sense of mind to remind the others of the war brewing, pointed towards the door and motioned for one of them find, seal and send the letter Kagome had just written. Shiho, who out of the three Lord's present, wanted to leave the least, was closest to the door. He was saddled with the task but decided not to argue. It was after all, a clan in his lands they were asking help from.

Sesshomaru turned back towards the slumbering woman as the horse demon checked her vitals. He growled slightly, the tone reverberating through the room. It was enough to scare the timid Jinenji, whose grip loosened slightly, but Sesshomaru paid it no mind. The woman had gotten sick under his care, she had the audacity to become ill while under his protection. It was inconceivable. And what was the statement about her breaking? Human's broke many times over, he had counted the various bones in human's by snapping them one by one on many occasions, so he knew that they healed eventually. She had no such injuries, no wounds, so what had happened?

"How has she been sleeping," asked Jinenji while he attempted to check her eyes.

Malik grumbled but managed to answer the question, "From all her complaining I would say pretty badly."

Jinenji nodded but did not ask any further questions. Instead the three men in the room contemplated the situation presented to them. One was worried for his friend, the other two felt concern over their forces. Though neither one of them were particularly fond of the woman she did play an important role. She was a moral source for many of the troops and her friends would not be able to continue on without her. While many of them were human, one even being a half-breed, they were strong allies.

It was not until Inuyasha kicked the door open that anyone stepped away from their thoughts. The door splintered and cracked under the pressure, the pieces of debris could be found scattered throughout the floor area. In the open doorway stood a very irate half-demon, one who's temper was getting the best of him."What did you do to her you bastard!"

Sesshomaru glared at his youngest sibling. It was of course Inuyasha's first assumption that this was his doing, "Half-breed, do not blame me for your friends mortality."

It appeared that Inuyasha was in no mood to banter. His claws were at the ready as he swiped with all his might. Much to everyone's surprise he moved at a speed unlike his own, something faster than Sesshomaru had witnessed in years. To everyone's further astonishment when Sesshomaru pulled away there were claw marks on his face, and blood on Inuyasha's hands.

"You fucking bastard! I will kill you!" he leaped again, straight for Sesshomaru. The eldest brother dodged only to feel something scrape against his stomach. This time when he pulled away there was a giant gash in his side, one that had not been there before. He placed his un-injured hand to his wound in bewilderment. He had been hit, not once, but twice. All done by Inuyasha no less. This was more than illogical, it was inconceivable. Inuyasha had never hit him, not like this. His speed had always been inferior but now he moved with a new grace, a sense of determination.

"You had to take her, you had to take away the one thing I wanted to protect. The one thing in this word that meant something to me!" Inuyasha leaped again, this time his claws were not drawn, but his fist was solidly in place. He made contact in an instant, hitting Sesshomaru on his right shoulder harder than he ever had before. Both brother's stumbled back from each other, one in anger and one in disbelief. Malik was about to step between them, and this ridiculous fight, when a soft sound reached all of their ears.

"I-Inuyasha?" came the feminine voice they all knew so well.

The sheets ruffled slightly and something in the bed sat up. Inuyasha was immediately by her side at the edge of the bed, "Kagome?" He had grabbed Kagome's hands and placed them in his own bloodied ones. Either she didn't notice in the dark, or she did not care. Either way, he clutched tighter to her, determined to never let her go.

She pushed herself up further, the dim lighting of the room doing nothing for her vision. "Why are you fighting? You know I hate it when you two do that."

Her voice was weak, obviously something was wrong. It was taking all of his patience to not panic, to not yell. Never before had he been tested like this. Inuyasha, instead of arguing with her like he normally would, pressed her hands up against his cheek and nuzzled them to his face. He watched as Sesshomaru's blood marked her beautiful features but continued, he needed to know she was there. While he could not catch her scent he could see and feel her. "What happened?"

Jinenji cut him, more than willing to offer an explanation, "She is tired, her body is showing all the signs of fatigue."

Kagome sighed, nodding her head briefly, "I am just worn-out, I haven't slept more than an hour or two a night for the past couple of months. All I need is a few good nights of rest with no nightmares and I will be fine."

Jinenji, for his part, could not keep the shock off of his face. He had assumed that she was not sleeping the moment Lord Uza relayed the symptoms but he had never anticipated months. An hour a night? That was physically impossible for her kind. If that were so, by all accounts Lady Kagome should have been dead by the second or third week. How was she still breathing? Standing? Functioning? Had she gotten the dates wrong?

"Kagome?" his voice was the same gentle noise that it always was but there was a new sense of disbelief in his tone. "You spoke of nightmares?"

She nodded once, a yawn breaking her action only briefly, "Yes, they are nothing, just random bits of nothing."

Kagome mentally calculated those random bits of nothing in her head, knowing that they were anything but arbitrary. Of course, explaining it would be incredibly difficult, especially since Touga refused to let her say a word to anyone.

Jinenji knew stories of priestess's. His mother had spent a great deal of time with him explaining what they were, how they did what they did. He knew that everything that happened to them was there for a reason. They were a second force of nature that was in tune with things no other creature could comprehend. If she was having consistent nightmares, it was for a reason. Right now, the time frame did not matter, what did was what happened after everything began. "Anything significant happen before or after your nightmares appeared?"

Inuyasha scoffed, his hands still encasing hers. "She freaking led us to this bastards house that's what. One week we are heading east and the next she has us eating breakfast with my son-of-a-bitch brother."

Kagome's response was to glare, "Inuyasha, there is no reason to talk like that."

His grip on her hand tightened to an almost painful level but she resisted the temptation to pull out of his hold. She didn't know what he was going through right now, but it was obviously something. Whatever it was it needed to be taken off his chest.

Inuyasha felt his anger grow even more as she disagreed with him, and was therefore taking _his_ side. It wasn't even the demon in him, it was his own emotions, his own feelings of hate. "No Kagome, it's him. It's this place. Ever since we got here you have been looking out for Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru this, Sesshomaru fucking that! You think I don't know all the work you have been doing for him? You think I don't hear the servants talking about your damn role as the fucking _Lady of the West_? How you have been doing all of Jaken's duties? What's next, you gonna _mate_ the prick?"

Kagome felt herself knocked straight onto her proverbial ass. What was happening? Where was this coming from? "I-Inuyasha, I-"

Inuyasha all but threw her hands away from him as she tried to comfort him. He knew that with a few words she could sooth his anger, make him forget why all of this mattered so much to him. He didn't want that, he wanted to be mad. He wanted to hate Sesshomaru and how much time she was spending with him. "Then today when I went looking for you I found out you were with him, in his study doing his paperwork!"

Kagome tried to push the covers aside and walk towards him as he stumbled away from her. Jinenji grabbed her wrist and held her down, pinning her to the bed. They both knew she would not make it out the door with how weak her body was. "I burnt him, I was trying to make up for hurting-"

Inuyasha growled hatefully at her when she pulled out of Jinenji's grip, "You stayed with him, you stayed with him and let me bleed! When he attacked me _you_ chose him! But you are _mine_! You are not his! He is taking you from me and I won't have it!…We leave in the morning, and whether you decide to come, that will be your fucking choice!"

He stomped out the door, passing Uza's stiff form along the way. He had given her a choice, one that she could not get around. Kagome was going to have to prove to him that he still meant more to her, that Sesshomaru was nothing. She needed to choose him, if she didn't, he wouldn't survive.

Kagome remained sitting in the bed, her body in a form of complete shock. Her hands went up to her mouth as a sob escaped her. Her eyes began to tear as she recalled the details of the fight. Never before had anything like this happened, they had never argued like this. Another sob racked her body as she tried to think up anything she could have done differently. Her mind came up blank. She had followed her instincts on every account, she had done what felt right in the moment.

Obviously Inuyasha did not feel the same.

What's more, she couldn't leave. She couldn't go with him, Touga wouldn't let her. She didn't know why Inuyasha wanted her to prove her loyalty to him, or why he felt that Sesshomaru was replacing him, but he did. He was asking her to prove him wrong, but she couldn't. Normally she would already be packing ready to leave before morning but she was stuck here. Inuyasha was going to think it was her decision, that Sesshomaru meant more to her than him. God, there was nothing she could do about it.

Kagome pulled her hands away from her face as another tremor shook her body. She needed to talk to him.

"Lady Kagome, you shouldn't-" tried Jinenji but she ignored him

Nothing in this world meant more to her than her friendship with Inuyasha and no one was stopping her. Her feet touch the floor and she automatically felt them give way, her body realizing what her heart refused to.

She couldn't go to him.

Kagome loudly slammed her open palm on the ground angrily, determined to get this right. A few tears leaked from her eyes before she managed to pull herself back together. With one large push, and the ability to steady herself on the bed, Kagome was once again on her feet. She could feel her body tense, her leg and torso muscles screaming at her to stop, to lie down. It wasn't going to happen.

Surprisingly enough, it was Malik that grabbed her upper arm, "You need to rest."

She tried to yank her arm out of his hold, to free herself from his demonic grip, but it was useless. "No, I need to tell him that he is my best friend, that I would do anything for him. You may not care about him, you may consider him worthless but he is not. I don't know why he thinks I care about Sesshomaru more than him but I won't let him suffer like this. He has been through so much already. His childhood was filled with pain and rejection; he is worried that it is happening again."

Something strange happened in that moment. Kagome's heart pounded in her chest sporadically, as if to a new beat. She could feel it, the new rhythm of her heart, of her pulse. She could feel her body trying to adapt to the change but it was having a hard time. Instead, her breath shortened and she clutched her chest. Kagome looked up from her own leaning position and watched as the world vibrated with each thump. Everything pulsed, the people, the objects, even the sheets from the bed. Kagome clutched her chest once again and blinked while trying to gather herself. The action did nothing.

Instead her breath shortened even more and Kagome heard, more than felt herself panting. Briefly, she wondered if this was what it felt like to have a panic attack. The moment the thought hit her the beating of her heart intensified. A shooting pain engulfed her entire body, hitting each nerve it came across. She silently screamed within the confinement of her own mind. Apparently her body no longer had the ability to speak.

Kagome immediately dropped to her knee's as she clutched her heart. Out of the corner of her eye Kagome saw Jinenji leap across the bed and to her side. He wrapped her in his strong hold, those big arms binding her like a newborn.

Then everything went black.

* * *

Jinenji pulled her tighter when he felt her go limp. Her body had given out under the stress, but what had happened before that was a mystery. He had never sense anything like that before. He looked around the room at the shocked faces. Obviously, no one was of sound mind to comment. Lord Malik seemed rooted to his spot, as did Lord Uza. Both had a distant look on their face, not one of contemplation, but both were recalling a memory.

Lord Sesshomaru was different. He was clutching his side, obviously Inuyasha's attacks were deeper than he was letting on. How he had managed to be hit was one mystery, but how Inuyasha had moved so fast was another one.

His biggest concern was Kagome, always Kagome.

"Get out."

All three Lords were quickly out of their daze and staring at the peasant in disbelief. No one could fathom a no nothing half-breed telling them what to do. Not only was it unheard of, it was against every norm within demon society. It had to of been because of the situation because surprisingly enough, two out of the three listened. The two contemplators left without a word, both heading in opposite directions without glancing at each other once. Jinenji did not try to over think their strange action, or willingness to comply, he instead tried to focus on his patient. Of course, that was a little hard to do with someone like Lord Sesshomaru glaring at you.

Said Lord quickly began his questioning, "What is wrong with her?"

Jinenji leaned over towards the bed, his body covering most of it when he did so. He, as gently as possible, released Kagome effectively rolling her onto her back. He then tucked the covers around her like one would their infant child, with love and admiration. When he was done and satisfied with his caretaking abilities, Jinenji motioned towards the other side of the room. He was not fool enough to argue with his Lord, especially one that had asked him a direct question.

When they made it to the other side of the room, one being purposefully careful not to make unnecessary noise and the other doing so naturally, Jinenji explained the situation, "Something is wrong, but her symptoms make no sense."

Sesshomaru's eye brows did not even raise in wonder, "I was under the impression that fatigue normally results in falling asleep."

Jinenji looked towards the bed, "How long can a demon of your caliber go without sleep my Lord?"

Mentally Sesshomaru calculated the last time he had gone without sleep. While he did not need as much as others, it was still a bodily requirement. "Perhaps one month before death would overtake me."

Jinenji turned his attention back to the injured Lord, "Kagome is not one to exaggerate, if she says it has been two, it has been two months since her last night of sleep. Human's cannot sustain themselves like we can. By all accounts, Kagome should have been dead after her first couple of weeks. Furthermore, that fall was not due to fatigue. She could not breathe, her heart was causing her pain and her spiritual aura was going wild. With your power you must have felt the powerful fluctuations. Her body was all but attacking itself."

Sesshomaru finally looked over towards the bed. In a few quick steps he was standing by the sleeping woman, his eyes intently studying her face. It seemed that something truly was wrong with the woman. "She will remain here for the night, under your care. Wake me if any new developments arise."

Sesshomaru attempted to walk out of the room but was stopped by the horse demon's voice, "Will you not talk to Inuyasha? The stress of the situation is not helping her condition."

Sesshomaru remained rooted to his spot for a good few seconds before answering the healer, "I have no desire for the priestess, and she holds nothing but contempt for me. Neither her nor I am under any obligation to answer his questions."

Sesshomaru quickly walked out of the room. If the half-demon refused to see what was really there, or lack of what was there, that was his own problem. Sesshomaru was under no silly ideation to talk to the fool about non-existent feelings. He was Lord Sesshomaru of the West, and she was an untrained priestess. Nothing could, or ever would come of that. He was not his father, he would not make such a faulty decision. Glad that the half-demon had the sense of mind to not bring up his newly acquired injuries, or push the issue further, Sesshomaru silently stepped into his own rooms. Perhaps not all half demon's were as idiotic as his brother.

* * *

Uza was at an impasse. He was not normally one to think things through, to debate with himself about an action. This case was a little bit different. The situation with Kagome was a strange one, but one that he had lived through before. It was only logical that with his age he would come across a situation similar to his past. History did have an innate ability to repeat itself when it was not learned from the original time around. This seemed to be one of those situations. He had the chance to fix a mistake, not one of his own but one none the less. The question was, was it worth it? Could he really go through the pain of recalling what happened to him and Nori?

Lord Uza pushed himself off of his feet, having already made the decision. If he could prevent their friendship from breaking, he should. So, with a sense of determination the demon bravely walked down the halls. He knew that Inuyasha's fears would be put to the test, and his own insecurities would no longer have a place to hide. But this was no excuse. Demons of their caliber should not be hiding from _themselves_ of all things. No, they should be strong. It was only when he had head out the door and into the cool nights breeze that he sensed the angry pup. No angry would not do him justice. The proper term was defeated, even a little broken. It seemed he had made the correct decision. Uza knew that feeling of being crushed better than most.

"Pup, come down, I need to talk to you," he tried, hoping that since Uza hadn't technically been in the room during the fight with the priestess that the pup would consider him neutral ground.

He wasn't.

"Fuck off old man, I ain't talking about Kagome," mumbled Inuyasha.

It seemed the half-demon's language worsened as his temper grew. Nothing but fowl words were coming out of his mouth. Luckily Uza understood the man's pain, the feeling of abandonment by the one person you trusted. Perhaps it was time to share that particular feeling if misery. "My best friend mated one of my sworn enemies. I understand why you are so angry Inuyasha, but you cannot push her into a corner. You will lose."

Inuyasha was instantly in front of him, fangs bared and claws at the ready. Nothing was going to get through to him if he could help it, of that Uza was positive. Inuyasha was as hard headed as his brother, something both would one day have to admit. "What do you know about my relationship with Kagome? Don't assume that-"

"That I know what it feels like to think that you never have to share her, that she is yours to keep because why would she ever need anyone else? I know more than you think. I know what it is like to feel that maybe you were not good enough, that you should have done this or that. Somehow your friendship wasn't enough to keep her with you; you were not strong enough to keep her by your side. She needed more, what you could not give," said Uza smoothly, clearly recalling his own emotions.

Inuyasha's face relaxed, his defensive stance loosening slightly. Something in Uza's words hit a string with in him. Just the fact that something not meant to be touched was, gave him reason to pause. But instead of admitting that he had been hit in exactly the right spot, Inuyasha huffed and crossed his claws across his chest. "Whatever."

Uza shook his head, despite the response he knew Inuyasha would listen. "He was from a different part of the nation, one we were just settling a war with. I had spent the last twenty years at war with him so you can imagine my hatred. So many men had died at his hand, I had lost many friends to this war and I was more than bitter. She, the friend, surprisingly enough, was a priestess. I knew her since birth, her family having been working in my castle as ambassadors to the humans. For some reason I took a liking to her when she was a child and I watched her grow. She was of course brought along during the treaty visits, included in every dinner hosted between the two lands. So imagine my surprise when Malik, of all the people in the world approaches me for the right to mate her."

Inuyasha's attention was no longer on the sickly piece of grass he was shredding with his nails. Instead his head turned towards Uza who was bitterly looking at the field before them. "Needless to say I was furious. I declined and he backed off. Time passed and I had hopes the issue would resolve itself. It did not, much to my dismay. Instead it worsened and day after day I would feel my resentment growing. She would heal him first, she would sit next to him, she would laugh at his stories. A few years later he reappeared, asking me for her once again, as was customary."

"You declined," said Inuyasha, realizing that he would do the same thing.

"She became angry with me and our friendship was strained. I started holding her back, preventing her from leaving my side. I am afraid to say that demon's are very possessive, and not just with our mates. She was my friend and I did not want to share. I realize now that I pushed her away, that she never would have made the decision that she did if I had been there for her," Uza sighed and closed his eyes. He let the cold wind brush against his face, healing the wound that had never closed.

He reopened them, finally allowing the pain to recede. It was surprisingly nice to tell the story, the one he had kept to himself for so long, "Finally, she confronted me. I gave her an ultimatum, much like you did to Kagome…she did not chose me. One hundred and thirty seven years later and I still regret it. I missed the remaining years of her life because I could not get over myself, my own fears. Then I find myself here, so many years later and watching the same mistakes being played. The only difference here is that you are doing this to a friend who is not in love with said enemy."

Inuyasha scoffed, "Of course she doesn't love him, I know that. Kagome might be overly kind but she is not an idiot."

It seemed Inuyasha could not, more like would not, digest what he was saying. Uza understood since it was not something pleasant to think about. He wasn't kidding when he said demon's were possessive, they were also blind when it came to the people they cared about. "Inuyasha, she is eventually going to find someone. It could be another friend, it could be a mate, it could be a child. She will find someone and you will have to relinquish your hold on her. Your relationship will change, it won't remain as it has been in the past. If you cannot accept that you will lose her."

Inuyasha grabbed a fistful of grass, trying not to let the man's words settle in his head. He did not want Kagome to leave him, to consider someone else as important as him. It wasn't a hard thing to admit, and he would yell it at her all day if it meant she would listen, "She won't leave me. She can't."

Uza smile finally surfaced. Inuyasha was listening, that was always the first step, "She will never leave you, no matter who she finds. No one said anything about that. All I meant was that things will change, but that does not mean for the worse. I live everyday wishing I had given Nori that chance, but I didn't. Perhaps things would not have turned out the way they did if I had not acted like such a child."

The blades of uprooted grass flew as a large gust of wind swept them out of Inuyasha's hold. Both did not miss the symbolism of the moment, not even the thick headed demon named Inuyasha. "What is going on between them? It's not love, but it is something else."

Uza knew in an instant what Inuyasha was talking about. He recognized it too. It was why he had insisted on the meals together, why he was able to convince Shiho to go along with Malik's little games with her. "Respect Inuyasha, the two are learning to respect each other."

**

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Firevixen73

- So I got a few comments about how long the chapters are and I cannot figure out if people like them or not. When I did a poll on my page most said they preferred it. I usually write a chapter until I feel like what I wanted to happen in that time span happened. Also, for those of you who have been wondering why Kagome always appears so strong and Sesshomaru so out of the loop this chapter was for you. I have always seen Kagome as a strong character because she has to be not because she wants to be. This was the moment in time where everything just piled on top of her and Sesshomaru is really going to have to earn his keep. This was a powerful chapter, at least in my mind. I hope you like! Please review so I know what parts to emphasis and what to leave out! 


	12. Confusing Creatures

_Recap:_

_He reopened them, finally allowing the pain to recede. It was surprisingly nice to tell the story, the one he had kept to himself for so long, "Finally, she confronted me. I gave her an ultimatum, much like you did to Kagome…she did not chose me. One hundred and thirty seven years later and I still regret it. I missed the remaining years of her life because I could not get over myself, my own fears. Then I find myself here, so many years later and watching the same mistakes being played. The only difference here is that you are doing this to a friend who is not in love with said enemy."_

_Inuyasha scoffed, "Of course she doesn't love him, I know that. Kagome might be overly kind but she is not an idiot."_

_It seemed Inuyasha could not, more like would not, digest what he was saying. Uza understood since it was not something pleasant to think about. He wasn't kidding when he said demon's were possessive, they were also blind when it came to the people they cared about. "Inuyasha, she is eventually going to find someone. It could be another friend, it could be a mate, it could be a child. She will find someone and you will have to relinquish your hold on her. Your relationship will change, it won't remain as it has been in the past. If you cannot accept that you will lose her."_

_Inuyasha grabbed a fistful of grass, trying not to let the man's words settle in his head. He did not want Kagome to leave him, to consider someone else as important as him. It wasn't a hard thing to admit, and he would yell it at her all day if it meant she would listen, "She won't leave me. She can't."_

_Uza smile finally surfaced. Inuyasha was listening, that was always the first step, "She will never leave you, no matter who she finds. No one said anything about that. All I meant was that things will change, but that does not mean for the worse. I live everyday wishing I had given Nori that chance, but I didn't. Perhaps things would not have turned out the way they did if I had not acted like such a child."_

_The blades of uprooted grass flew as a large gust of wind swept them out of Inuyasha's hold. Both did not miss the symbolism of the moment, not even the thick headed demon named Inuyasha. "What is going on between them? It's not love, but it is something else."_

_Uza knew in an instant what Inuyasha was talking about. He recognized it too. It was why he had insisted on the meals together, why he was able to convince Shiho to go along with Malik's little games with her. "Respect Inuyasha, the two are learning to respect each other."_

* * *

Malik was at his own twist in the road as he watched these new developments unfold. He was no fan of the priestess, even if he knew somewhere in his heart a small part of himself was becoming fond of her. This very night, which already felt so long ago, he had held her too gently when she struggled in his arms. In reality he should have snapped her neck for the fuss she was putting up. He should have held her tight enough to knock the air right out of her as she kicked and screamed, but he hadn't. Perhaps he was getting soft in his older years. But right now he did not want to deal with that, he was much to occupied with thoughts surrounding Sesshomaru to fathom the idea of wanting to help her.

Perhaps the sickness was overtaking him as well.

What he did know was that the young priestess did not deserve whatever had been thrusted upon her. He was smart enough, and experienced enough to understand that something was plaguing her. His mating with Nori had taught him enough about priestess's and their problems. Nothing ever plagued one of their kind just because it had the opportunity, there was always a reason. What's more, the young girl knew exactly what it was. He had watched in wonder as the disfigured half breed asked her the mired of questions about her symptoms. She had answered calmly, professionally and what's more with absolutely no curiosity whatsoever. Who doesn't want to know what plagues them? Who can answer a situation like the one she is facing without an inkling of curiosity, without a drop of panic?

The woman already knew exactly what was wrong. What's more, she had felt the need to lie to everyone in that room. To the healer, to him, to Sesshomaru and in reality, to Inuyasha. The woman lied to her closest friend about her own safety without an ounce of thought. But why, why did she feel the need to do so?

What's more, why did whatever was plaguing her seem to recede when Sesshomaru was near? Again, he was no fool. Her symptoms seemed to lesson when his young ward was around. It was no coincidence that she happened to come here right when her problems became worse. If he had to venture a guess Kagome did not start having symptoms after arriving, but before. She must have came here for help, whether she knew it or not.

He had been thinking about the priestess far more than he would ever admit to another soul – needless to say a few things were bothering him about her time here. For starters, her arrival seemed odd. She did not want to be here in the beginning, and even attempted to leave the castle. Up until she reached the break in the wall Malik was positive that she had every intention of leaving. Her turn around was off in more ways than one. Many other things had caught his eye during their time together and he had yet to explain any of it. Malik did not know what was happening and it was frustrating to a new level. This new development with her powers and the inability to sleep was just as frustrating. While it helped answer a few question it left him with far more.

What was exactly plaguing her? What made her feel the desire to hide it from the most powerful demons of this era? What, quite honestly, was she?

Malik, unable to answer any of these questions, was beginning to feel a bombardment of frustration take over. If there was one thing Malik, Lord of the Northern Land couldn't stand it was being uninformed. It had burned him on too many occasions for him to take something lying down. He was not about to put himself in that situation again. Perhaps it was time he took a lesson from his old friend Touga and become overly involved in something that wasn't even remotely his business.

With a brief moment of self-assurance combined with pure mischievousness Malik quickly walked out of his room.

* * *

Sesshomaru angrily attempted to patch up the claw marks his idiotic brother had somehow managed to slice into him. How the whelp had managed to nick him, let alone cause something worthy of blood, was unfathomable. Was he perhaps moving slower? Had Inuyasha developed a new skill that was unknown to him? Sesshomaru would be more than furious if his father had left the youngest of his son's yet another parting gift. Was there nothing Touga would not do for the son he actually wanted? Sesshomaru was more than aware that he was a product of a treaty, that he was an heir long before he would have ever been considered a son. Still, even in death the former Lord of the West felt the need to remind Sesshomaru of this fact day in and day out.

With a wince Sesshomaru wrapped another bandage around his waist. Briefly he considered waking the priestess if just to have her do this for him. Of course, the second the thought reached his conscious he dismissed it. One, it was the woman's fault he was injured because nothing like these last few months had ever happened before she intruded on his castle. Second, he was not so weak to need her help for something so simple. The woman would be the death of him before their little escapade was up.

Placing the gauze in his mouth, strips that he had stolen from the infernal woman's pouch on his way out, Sesshomaru ripped the bandage in half. He had wrapped himself enough times when younger to understand the basics of healing. One of his father's favorite lessons was what Sesshomaru called kill or be killed. Many of his father's best men would charge him and as a young boy Sesshomaru had to do what he could to defend, whether this be running or standing to fight. Needless to say Sesshomaru learned at an early age the advantages of a sound mind and well thought out strategy. Of course, a little boy could only do so much. Many nights he had been left in the grassy fields bloody and bruised.

His father had given the medics orders to leave him be for at very least a fortnight. The timeframe often depended on how well Sesshomaru had protected himself. At the time he hated his father for it but now he understood the necessity.

No one was about to stop mid fight to protect him, that was something one had to do on their own. Before he could will his mind to stop a contradictory image immediately came to mind in an attempt to prove him wrong. Briefly sight of bright blue eyes appeared in his mind. The eyes were attached to a delicate face with a slightly tilted head leaning to the right. In her hand was a string of raw meat dangling before him. Her eyes narrowed in frustration as she attempted to feed him by hand.

It was a conflicting emotion that arose in him. Sesshomaru knew what the world was like, he knew how selfish people were. They were rude and only out for themselves. Most would abandon their own children if it meant getting far enough ahead. The priestess called Kagome, or Lady of the West as Inuyasha had so eloquently put it, had become an enigma to him after his sickness. In a few days the woman had defied everything he knew of others, demon or human. She had provided more than the standard care necessary, she had provided comfort. With a shake of his head Sesshomaru pushed the image from his mind. There was no need to recall that, right now or ever.

"Why did she even do half the things that she did?" growled Sesshomaru to himself. It was a mystery the young Lord was still attempting to unravel.

He believed since long ago that the human mind was simple, instinctual and basically dumb. They never did anything that would not further themselves, the race was slow and foolish as well. What's more, they had little to no means to protect themselves. How they had survived the ages was based entirely on their priests and priestesses. They were the only real form of protection around and even they were slowly being extinguished. Humans would not last much longer at this rate. Then again, they populated like rodents.

It seemed all they did was copulate. Children were few and far between in the demon realm. There was no definite time that a mother carried the pup in her womb, it was carried as long as necessary. Some demon children were born within a year time span after conception, other were carried for up to fifty years. The mothers were extremely vulnerable during this time and were often killed by rival clans during this weakness. His own mother had been victim to a multitude of attacks. It was why he could not fault some weaker demons for conceiving with the humans. Their children were birthed in under a year and though tainted, the demon blood was carried on.

Yes, that was one advantage that the humans held over the demons. He could only hope that they would not somehow over power his own kind through their sheer numbers.

But Kagome, the priestess intent on frustrating him at every turn, was so very different from the rest of her race. He saw none of the hatred, none of the pettiness that was prevalent in her kind. Before he had dismissed it as a front to impress the others but despite all that had happened the young woman had stayed true to the same character he had seen all those years ago in his father's tomb.

The woman was an enigma wrapped in mortality.

With one final yank, and the immediate dismissal of the thought to visit her in her room, Sesshomaru finished wrapping the bindings around his waist. Before he had the chance to even drop the cloth from his mouth, where it hung to tear, his doors burst open.

In a flourish of annoyance and hatred Sesshomaru glared at his godfather. "You were banned from these quarters when you brought that infernal harem a mere forty years ago."

Malik grinned while he strode in as he purposefully pissed off the young demon, "Your father always appreciated such gestures, is it a crime to think his son would be any different?"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, noting how Malik's energy slowly filled the room. What was the demon doing? This was not only Sesshomaru's territory this was his private quarters? No demon in their right mind would ever push their own demonic energy around in here. "Are you in the mood for war Malik?" he growled while letting the tape slip between his teeth.

Malik grinned, "Allow me this indulgence; I am in the mood to test a theory. Do not fight my energy, I would like to prove something to you."

While mildly explaining something that Sesshomaru was sure he would never understand Malik began the tedious task of fixing the young Lords bandages. While he had tied them appropriately the knots were lower than abysmal in skill. With a sigh he would only show to those he considered family, which were not the idiotic Lords that were vacant from the room, Malik fixed the young pups work. "Do you not remember the knots I taught you?"

Sesshomaru slapped his hand away in mock anger, "Of course I do old man."

Not only was his condescending attitude not meshing well with Sesshomaru's previous thoughts about his less than perfect childhood he was in no mood for Malik to play. The man was a fiend when he wanted to prove something. What's more, Malik's energy was still filling the area around them. He could feel it beginning to suffocate, and his first desire was to fight back with his own burst of power. The inability to do so was more than putting him on edge. It was like a challenge in his own home, one he was backing away from. It was not in his nature to back away. No self respecting alpha would ever do that.

"Settle down pup. Just a few more minutes to catch her off guard. Wouldn't want her sensing you now would we?" mumbled Malik.

Sesshomaru somehow hid the confusion from his face.

* * *

Jinenji couldn't believe his lack of everything and anything remotely lucky. With nearly all of his strength, the strength that would normally rip a very powerful demon in two, he was holding Kagome down as she thrashed. Mere minutes after everyone had left the woman began to seize in a way no moral ever should. Three times she had already thrown him to the ground because of her convulsions. In case the world had forgotten he was a rather large half demon.

With an 'umph' Jinenji was harshly thrown against the wall by what he could only assume was a leg. He didn't stop and calculate any possible injuries though, he was much to busy. In less than a heartbeat the demon was back on his feet and rushing over to the woman than he adored. Tears were pouring down her face, scratches from her own nails covered her arms, and Jinenji only hoped Kagome hadn't bitten off her own tongue due to the force of the seizures.

What was this?

Not less than an hour ago she was all but asleep, and peacefully, while everyone huddled around her.

Before he could ask the question out loud, or even contemplate getting someone to borrow research from, the doors were unexpectedly flung open. In a moment of confusion he looked up, totally stunned to see what he saw. The two Lords that scared him the most were standing in the doorway. How had he not sensed them? Well Malik yes, the man had been expanding his demonic energy enough to make the birds pause in their singing, but had Lord Sesshomaru actually let him over power him?

There was no chance to ask because he was suddenly kicked right into a nearby table the moment he stopped paying attention to Kagome. With a crash, and some now very broken furniture surrounding him Jinenji couldn't form any sentences. He could on the other hand see both Lord's faces drop as they turned to Kagome and her writhing body.

Malik stepped forward first, his arm outstretched slightly as if wanting to reach towards Kagome. Sesshomaru on the other hand stood still, eyes wider than normal as he watched the body convulse and the blood from the scratches fill his nose.

The moment he saw the damage his aura flared like a torch in a pitch dark cave. In less than a second the entire area was filled with raw power. Jinenji could feel every hair on his body stand on end as everything within the vicinity was covered, engulfed like a fishing boat in a flood. The look in his eyes was what really scared him though. Nothing had ever looked so dangerous, so angry before.

He didn't even notice how quickly Kagome's own body calmed down at the slightest inkling of Sesshomaru's aura. No, he was too filled with terror to notice anything other than the fear building inside of him.

"My Lord," he tried, his stuttering getting the better of him in each passing moment.

"Why was I not informed of her condition!" yelled the furious dog demon.

"There wasn't time…I could not leave her like that. She could have been seriously hurt or-" he was cut off from his argument as Sesshomaru strode into the room. In an instant Sesshomaru was by her side dismissing everything other than Kagome.

"She calmed when the two of us walked into the room, why was that?" he asked while searching her body for any new ailments.

"I-I do not know. She began shortly after everyone left. Her movements became ragged and possessed for no reason," stuttered the healer.

"If I may Sesshomaru. She did not calm when we walked in. She calmed when you revealed yourself through your power. Before I had been expanding mine to cover you, leaving you all but invisible to the senses if not staring directly at you. It was when your presence became visible to her that she calmed, not when anything else happened."

Sesshomaru turned to his godfather, "What could you possibly be implying?"

Malik glanced around the damaged room and then back at the woman of focus. It had been a battle for the half demon to keep her safe, that was more than obvious to say. The self inflicted scratches on her arms were enough to inform him about what was happening here. "I am saying one of two things Sesshomaru. Either you were able to scare off whatever is plaguing her, or she is comforted by your mere presence and feels safe with you around. Either way, you are not leaving this room while she still needs you. Your father did not raise a pup that abandons others, especially not someone in his pack."

Sesshomaru, who by now was moving towards Malik with more than annoyance on his face, was only stopped by Malik's clawed hand. The argument against her being in his pack was long forgotten as he followed the hand. A long battle worn finger pointed to the bed that the Lord of the West had just moved away from. The black haired priestess had already began thrashing, though not nearly as violently as before. "It seems to worsen the further you get."

Malik didn't say anything else as he left the room. He did not even have to wonder if Sesshomaru would follow him out the door to argue.

Sesshomaru would not leave her side and they both knew it.

Said demon watched as the doors swung shut in front of him. As they slammed closed the young Lord felt his eye lids drop in powerless submission. For a second he let them stay closed as he assessed the situation.

Girl, possible sickness, him.

Yes, that about summed it up.

Re-opening his eyes Sesshomaru wondered if he was even capable of the daunting task. Deciding that even if he wasn't no one would ever know his insecurities about having to care for another person. Turning to the half demon Sesshomaru pointed towards Kagome's bed, "You will spend the night informing me of every human ailment that could be affecting this woman. You will notify me of all the damages that you have noticed, whether they be to her mind or physical condition and all the human ramifications from them. Is that clear?"

The half demon did not dare refuse him.

* * *

Kagome could feel the stretch of her body long before her mind realized she was the one stretching. The muscles could feel the relaxing pull as her arms were raised above her head. She could feel the ever wonderful feel of her toes pointing all the way through her spine. With a slight giggle Kagome curled forward, her stretch relaxing her completely.

Slowly her eyes began to open, only slightly registering the sun cascading over her face. Why weren't all mornings this wonderful? Deciding that the sun was indeed too bright, and could wait another thirty seconds for her to see it, Kagome pulled the luxurious sheets closer to her. It felt like hand woven silk was surrounding her whole body. Somewhere in her mind she doubted even Sesshomaru woke up this pleasantly.

Sesshomaru!

In a flash the images from the night before hit her.

Oh god, Sesshomaru and the war room. Sesshomaru and the pillows. Sesshomaru and the passing out. Sesshomaru and Inuyasha! Oh God! Inuyasha!

Before her eyes could register anything going on around her Kagome was tumbling out of the bed with the sheets wrapped around her whole body. She landed with a louder thump than she thought was necessary but didn't stop there. She was too busy going through the million and one thoughts racing through her head. Most of them surrounded Inuyasha and wondering what had happened there. Had he left? It was past dawn and she had slept right through their meeting time. Would he understand that it wasn't her fault? That she had no concept of time when Touga was busy screwing with her mind? Of course he wouldn't understand. Not only could she not tell him about his father he also had the added bonus of being Inuyasha, sympathy was not his strongest social skill.

She would lose it if he had left. She would literally break down into tears and demand to have Touga explain what was happening.

Pushing what was left of the blankets away from her Kagome immediately lunged for the door hoping anyone who knew anything was around. Could anyone tell her what had happened? Before she managed to make it towards the door a very familiar figured emerged in front of her. With a gasp Kagome watched the materialization of Touga happen before her eyes.

He was different this time around. Normally when he appeared there was a fatherly presence, a feeling of protection despite their past squabbles. This appearance held no such comfort. His entire body was rigid, arms crossed and his mouth was set into a firm line. Touga's entire stance screamed warrior and the chill running up her back continuously reminded her that despite being dead, he was in fact the strongest of the warriors around.

She opened her mouth briefly with the intent to confront him but was stopped by the change in his eyes. They narrowed slightly, enough for her to see only the terrifying gold before her, "The game has changed. My children have made choices that force my hand and if I must choose between you and my son's, then you will be forced into an early grave."

It was if he has just ordered her a death sentence.

Before a scream could reach her lips Kagome dropped to her knees in pain. Her entire body seemed to be attacking itself. Piercing needles permeated every pore, crystals scraped along the inside of her veins like rocks being rushed by a stream. Her arms immediately wrapped around her body as she tried not to cry from the sheer indescribable pain of it all. "Wh-"

She looked back up but Touga was already gone. In a moment of hell induced clarity the situation dawned on her. Touga didn't care, he was going to kill her before all of this was done. He was going to keep tormenting and punishing her until her lifeless body couldn't feel anything anymore. The dreams would never stop, the desperation would never go away.

Kagome tried to cry but it hurt so much. It was like acid was running down her checks with each fleck of water that fell from her eyes. How could something that came from your own body cause such agony? She tried to gulp for air only to realize that she couldn't breathe. Her body was rejecting the air around her; everything was tainted, dirty to the point of disgust. Kagome needed to breathe though and combining this need with the pain was leaving her all but dead on her knees. Ripping what she could of her shirt open Kagome started clawing at her neck as she tried to gasp for any form of air. She didn't care how much it hurt, she didn't care that each movement intensified the pain times a hundred, she needed to breathe! Everything felt so disgusting, her body was refusing the world with each pant. Each gasp was like a mouthful of sewage to her body.

She clawed harder, as if it would somehow help. With what she could only assume was a loud thump Kagome fell completely to the ground, her body writing in pain as her nails dug into her neck. God, she couldn't even gasp anymore.

What had he done to her?

Suddenly everything felt warm. Everything hurt just a little less and the blinding pain slowly receded. Bit by bit the world became less painful and somewhere in the back of her mind she could feel her hand moving away from her throat. There was something else attached to it, something else was pulling her hands away. Silk seemed to cover her and even in her hazy state she could recognize the beauty that surrounded her. Kagome wanted to look, she wanted to thank whatever God had sent to save her. But as soon as her body began to regulate itself the world around her went black and that beautiful silk quickly faded away into nothingness.

Sesshomaru was in utter disbelief at the situation presented to him. He had stepped out of the room for a few minutes in an attempt to catch a few minutes of reprieve. The moment he felt her distress he had regretted it. By the time he had returned to her rooms she was in complete disarray, her nails leaving painful red marks halfway down her exposed chest. She had been gasping like a fish out of water as her tears poured down her face. It had been obvious the amount of pain she was in but his nose had detected nothing out of the ordinary. Then again, his nose detected next to nothing with Inuyasha's scent still masking as her own.

A voice behind him suddenly caught Sesshomaru's attention. The voice was cold, calculated but wavered just slightly at the end. "What did you do to her?"

Sesshomaru's hair, which had previously shielded her from sight, gently swayed to the side as his attention refocused from the girl in his arms to the half breed wanting to protect her. Before him stood Inuyasha, the brother he never wanted.

"I won't ask you again Sesshomaru, what did you do to her?" this time his voice was much harsher, more prepared for battle than he had been before. Briefly Sesshomaru saw his father staring at him through Inuyasha's eyes, a sight that the younger of the two siblings displayed well. Despite never knowing their great and terrible father Inuyasha was like him to a remarkable level.

Cautiously, because she honestly could break at any moment, Sesshomaru reached under the woman and cradled her legs in the crook of his arm as he stood. Without saying another word the stoic demon lord carried her towards the ruffled bed where he could place her on something softer than the cold floor Kagome had been crying on. The moment he was satisfied with her positioning the Lord of the West faced his brother. "Something plagues her Inuyasha, those marks came from her own hands and if your nose cannot smell the flesh under her nails then you are truly more pathetic then I ever imagined."

Inuyasha, much to Sesshomaru's surprise, completely let the insult slide and instead focused on Kagome, "I can't lose her Sesshomaru. Not to you, not to anyone. You can have the sword, you can have the legacy but she is mine."

Sesshomaru visibly frowned at this statement. While his brother was not the sharpest sword ever crafted he had always believed that some common sense had been beaten into him at some point. "You speak nonsense Inuyasha."

A clattering noise filled the air as the rusty heirloom that usually rested at Inuyasha's waist hit the floor. The barefoot half demon kept a level stare with the elder Inu demon as his most prized possession rested between them on the ground. "Take it…please."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed dangerously at the offer, "You are a fool."

"Take it!" he screamed in a range.

Sesshomaru, who desperately wanted to turn his back on this entire situation found himself stuck. He could not leave the priestess, his honor was at stake if he left. She had saved him, the woman had provided for him with great sacrifice to herself. His house was all but ran by her and he would be doing an injustice to leave her with such a crazed creature. "You would give up the one thing keeping your demon nature in check, for a human? A human whom you have no romantic interest in? A human who will be dead in a few years time is worth centuries of madness? I will state it again Inuyasha, you are a fool."

Inuyasha quickly turned to the woman on the bed, the one who had given him everything. Friends, family, hope – they were all gifts from her. "I will control it."

"How? Father's fang kept it in check even before it was removed through the portal in your eye. You would quickly kill her in your madness and this entire debate would be for nothing. You do not think anything through Inuyasha!" Sesshomaru's temper rose as Inuyasha's stubbornness clashed with his own.

Inuyasha looked up at his brother, "I would never hurt her! Never! I don't care what state I am in Sesshomaru, she is my everything. I had nothing before her. I didn't even have _myself_. I didn't even know who I was, or how to be a decent person before her. So yes, centuries of madness is enough for a few years with her!"

Sesshomaru felt his upper lip curl in a threatening growl. "You would place her in danger for your own chance at happiness?"

Inuyasha's own eyes narrowed in response. His own growl was on the tip of his tongue, "You don't understand, she would never be in danger with me. I would never hurt her."

It was a pathetic argument and Sesshomaru could all but taste the bile on his tongue. It was disgusting listening to the very words as they came from the half demon's wretched mouth. "You have no control over yourself Inuyasha, even when you are not in an instinctual state. Half of the words out of your mouth are a belittlement, the other half an argument. Yet you claim to have her best interest at heart? You cannot even protect her from yourself let alone something else," with this Sesshomaru turned his back from the sword and from Inuyasha. With more than a little anger in his step Sesshomaru began walking out of the room.

"You don't know anything Sesshomaru. I've protected her for years! Hell, you don't even know the first thing about protecting cause it implies actually giving a damn about someone other than yourself!" yelled Inuyasha with the growl that had been building up in his throat.

Sesshomaru, who was halfway out the door, stopped mid step. Sesshomaru immediately felt his eyes flash red in pure rage. He had planned on stepping outside for a quick breath of fresh air while regaining his senses from this idiotic conversation. He had planned on immediately returning in case the priestess fell into another fit. He had planned on pretending that this conversation had never happened for the sake of the sleeping girl.

Inuyasha always did know how to piss him off.

Sesshomaru turned in a large flourish of energy. In less than a blink of an eye he was standing toe to toe with Inuyasha. "Can you ensure it? Can you ensure that no tip of your claw, no burst of anger, no misplaced fangs will ever reach her for even a mere scrape? Do you have that level of control Inuyasha? Can you swear that you will know where she is every moment of the day? That anyone who even thinks of harming her will meet your claws long before she realizes their intent to do her harm? Do you have the skill Inuyasha? Do you have the mental strength? Do not assume to have something so fragile. I have trained for years to perfect my body to that level, to hone my mind to that of a perfect warrior. But if you believe that you can do something so easily, and in a state of pure demonic madness, then please do show your _dear_ older brother up."

Before Inuyasha was able to blink the outline of his brother was gone and Kagome's mind numbing screaming began.

* * *

Malik stood by the half conscious priestess as she sipped the soup handed to her. The fits had stopped about an hour or two after Sesshomaru had left the room. It had been pure hell for anyone in the vicinity while it had lasted though. Nothing calmed her, nothing woke her. If it wasn't one thing it was another. If she couldn't breathe then she was purifying everything within sight. If she wasn't clawing at her own skin then she was crying tears that left burn marks down her face.

When Kagome woke she had little to no recollection of any of it, just the very beginning of the episodes. After that her mind seemed to blackout because of the pain and nothing else could be remembered. Of course, Malik wondered if this was true. She had already displayed a keen ability to lie under pressure. Perhaps she remembered more than she was admitting if only to keep things easier on herself. After all, if this was in anyway tied to what was plaguing her, something she obviously had no inclination to speak about, then it would make sense to magically forget.

Instead of interrogating her like the miscreant she was Malik was taking a new approach. It had become obvious after he thought about it that this was no ordinary woman. She, despite her heritage, had been well schooled in the art of winning. "You are an idiot if you think anyone will let you out of this bed."

Kagome turned her attention to him and glared, "I am fine! I just had a bad fit is all."

Malik's eyebrow rose slightly, partially in question but mostly in an attempt to mock her. "Do all human's have such loud lungs? Perhaps it is a trait specific to you, it would go well with your level of annoyingness."

Kagome took another sip of her soup as she tried to think of an appropriate comeback. None came to her at that particular moment and she swore up and down that he would pay for it later. If there was one thing her family had taught her it was to always be one step ahead of everyone else. "Why are you even here, you hate me."

Malik leaned back in his chair with a very prominent scowl on his face, "Hate is such a simple word, we need something stronger to describe our relationship."

"Loathing?" Kagome said with a snort. With a small laugh she put down her soup, "Oh no, detest? Despise?"

Malik could feel the grin trying to form and he desperately tried to push it back. He would not smile. He would not acknowledge the small amount of joy he was gaining from this conversation. She was nothing, a mere woman. He did not find her conversations more stimulating than he did the majority of the people in this castle. This woman should not be entertaining to him. She was stubborn, and manipulative to a demonic degree and was beyond frustrating. A child like her had no business trying to keep on par with a leader like him. "Eat, I don't want to have to take care of you."

Kagome looked at her soup with slight hesitation. He wanted to say something and was holding back. He found that odd, since she rarely held her tongue, but he did not press. He learned from the mistakes of others and she did not do well with others forcing something out of her. After a few moments of silence Kagome finally spoke, "Everything tastes like mud, it's rather disgusting."

Mud? He mentally categorized that as another odd trait of hers. He had been assured by the cooks that all of her food was prepared with the most delicate and finely crafted hands. It should by no means taste like anything other than bird and spices. He could all but smell the food in her mouth from here. "Get over it."

While thinking things over Malik briefly looked out the balcony before him. What was going on outside was much more interesting then listening to a woman complain, especially about perfectly acceptable food tasting like wet dirt. He smirked as his hearing picked up a conversation he was positive was intended to be kept silent. Some part of him desperately wanted to be there as Inuyasha argued with himself, but another part of him knew the wench needed to be monitored.

Kagome felt the little kid in her grow to a larger height. If she was a few years younger a major tantrum would be on its way but she wasn't about to let that happen, not when she could gain valuable information to use against him later. "What do you really want?"

Slightly shocked that she had outright asked him, Malik felt his annoyance rise. How could anyone put up with such a demanding and stubborn person? What had she been raised by? Women were not like this, he didn't care where you came from. Women did not stand up to a war general and leader like him without the slightest fear in their persona. Without saying one word, let alone giving her an answer to her question, Malik stood up from the nearby chair and walked out the door. Something about her drove him absolutely mad.

Kagome felt like throwing a nearby pillow at him, despite the fact that he was already outside of the door. Why was that man so infuriating? Did he get some sick pleasure out of totally throwing her off kilter? And what was this nonsense about her not getting up to do anything? To hell with that. She was more than capable of standing upright and writing a few papers to help with the castle upkeep. Besides, those damn ladies and their daughters were going to be here in a few days and she needed to finish preparing the schedules for their time with Sesshomaru. No way in hell was she allowing anyone else to supervise that little adventure.

"Kagome?" squeaked a small voice to her left.

With a rare bout of energy Kagome turned to face a small form sitting in the nearby balcony. Her heart immediately seemed to expand in her chest, but this time instead of pain Kagome's body seemed to glow with pride. "You climbed the terrace all by yourself?"

Shippo's bushy tail quickly made its way through the room as it bounced from side to side while he scurried towards the bed. Before he was able to get to close, nearly touching the sheets, he stopped mid track. A look of worry crossed his face as he scanned Kagome up and down. "Am I allowed to touch you now? Or is it going to hurt? Inuyasha said I wasn't allowed to go near you."

Kagome felt her heart sink. Was that why no one was in and out of her room? Was that why Malik had been the only one in since she woke? Inuyasha was keeping them at bay? Despite her anger at him for this another part of her was happy that he was even still around. When Malik had told her that Inuyasha had stayed she had only half believed him, he was Malik after all. "You never have to worry about hurting me Shippo."

Shippo slowly crept closer to the bed, his little arms reaching out as his claws gently intertwined with the sheets. Inch by inch he pulled himself towards her until he was about a foot away from touching her. With wide eyes he looked at the gashes on her body, smelt the burns on her skin and could hear the hoarseness of her voice. "Inuyasha said-"

"Inuyasha is not thinking clearly," she quickly cut him off, slightly determined not to know what Inuyasha had said to her son. If she knew then she was bound to be angry. If she knew then she would undoubtedly take it out on the obviously frustrated Inuyasha. There was no reason to start a war with him. She already had plenty of those with Sesshomaru and Malik.

"But you are-" he tried again.

Kagome, deciding that her son was much too far away quickly scooped him up in her arms and drew him in as close as possible. With as large of a hug as she could muster Kagome attempted to show the little boy in front of her how much she loved him. "I am healing and not going anywhere. I promise, I am going to fix what needs to be fixed and then everything will be back to normal."

Shippo, no longer concerned about hurting her, buried himself in his mother's body. "What needs to be fixed? Can I help?"

Brushing his bright red bangs aside Kagome kissed his forehead, "To be completely honest, I don't even know if I can help. All I can do is exactly what I am doing and hope it works."

"But what if it doesn't?" tried Shippo again. His concern over his mother was more than he could bare. He couldn't lose another parent, he just couldn't. Especially not Kagome.

"It's not me who loses Shippo. I'm not the one who will be hurt the most, someone else will be in a lot more pain then I could ever be in," Kagome could feel her mind wandering back to what Touga had told her about Sesshomaru. Despite the recent events Kagome knew he was telling the truth when he described Sesshomaru's demise. The proud, slightly honorable demon would die alone and without any hope in the world. No matter her frustrations with Touga, Kagome did not want to see Sesshomaru end in such a manner.

"Who is the one who would be really hurt?" asked Shippo as his eyes started to close on their own. It had been so long since he had been held by her that his body had instinctively began to relax. Both of them knew that it wasn't going to be much longer until he fell asleep, at least as long as he had the comfort of his mother being so close to him.

With a grin at the little fox's ever present curiousness Kagome let the boy rest in her arms, since she too missed this small joy of being with Shippo. "No one who wants my help, that's for sure."

Kagome was too enamored by her son to notice the small flicker of demonic energy outside of her door. She was too preoccupied with thoughts of Touga and Sesshomaru to fathom the idea of someone waiting outside for just such a conversation. She never thought that Malik was more patient than he looked.

* * *

Sesshomaru was beyond annoyed as he slipped in through the balcony door. Despite the darkness he saw where he stepped with perfect sight, not even needing the light of the mood to help him. Though perhaps running into something would refocus his anger. He could at least destoy something that managed to get in his way. Nothing had curbed his anger, nothing had even dented it. He was just as furious as he had been earlier in the day and it appeared that nothing was going to help. Not even a spar with Malik was able to curb his temper and that was rare. The arrogant demon lord had never failed to rein in his temper before and it was maddening to think that his normal method had failed. Usually, if the situation called for it, Sesshomaru would move onto a different sparing partner, namely Inuyasha.

The pup was never hard to find, what with how he never bothered to mask himself from others. Perhaps he had never learned, perhaps Inuyasha was just that arrogant but either way Sesshomaru never had to put much effort into finding him when some much needed stress relief overcame him. Of course today was entirely different. Inuyasha, who normally provided him with some amusement, was the one person he had been avoiding. Well, if one did not include the priestess. The again she was stationary and unable to bother him to the same extent that his younger brother was.

Slowly, and almost with an agitated sigh, Sesshomaru turned toward the bed where the sleeping woman rested.

He could not just abandon her to the whims of the moronic pup Inuyasha. He really was a child blessed with sharp claws. He actually thought he was capable of doing what Sesshomaru himself could not? And in such a simple manner? Inuyasha had never had to work for anything, it just came to him like some lost little foal to a hungry wolf. Sesshomaru was no fool, his brother had faced hardship, he had been through his fare share of undesirable moments, but their lives could not be more different.

Inuyasha's day consisted of survival among thugs and humans with no purpose to their antics. Sesshomaru had grown up with more callous individuals all with their own backstabbing methods to further themselves. He, unlike his brother, had never had a day magically finish with a bright sunset. He had never had a free meal given to him that was not laced with poison. He had never been through a night where there was a moment of peace. And Inuyasha thought that he could achieve out of _want_ what Sesshomaru had strived his entire life for out of _necessity_. Inuyasha thought he could just _will_ it to happen?

"It is only because it would dishonor our father that I have not ripped his heart from his body," growled Sesshomaru.

"Yeah, he is a pretty big idiot," said a voice from behind him.

Sesshomaru was facing the direction where the voice came from in less than a heartbeat. He was appalled at the fact that he hadn't noticed anyone in the room. Him, the Lord of the West, had been unable to detect a simple intruder. Casually his eyes scanned over the bed, the same bed where the sleeping priestess lay, but was unable to determine where the voice stemmed from.

With his previous anger still in his step Sesshomaru walked over towards the slumbering woman in order to make sure she was still asleep. After a quick glance, and seeing that she was incapable of answering his earlier statement, Sesshomaru scanned his surroundings. He sensed nothing out of the ordinary. Determined to decipher the elusive magic Sesshomaru slowly reached towards the bed. He was positive the sound had come from the woman's direction.

Before his claw could touch a hair surrounding the sleeping woman's face he heard what appeared to be a hiss. Eyes narrowing the situation became clear. With a swipe of his claws the young demon lord lifted a small bundle of blankets, empty sheets that wiggled.

He hated fox magic.

Before he could voice his opinions on the matter the white sheet wrapped itself around his arm, the color quickly turning orange and developing fur. "Put me down!"

He recognized the young foxling as the priestess young ward. They smelled of one another which explained his inability to sense the young kit. His frustration mounted. He had come to check up on the priestess, but to also gather his thoughts in solitude. After the hours of screaming he had endured listening to her, damn his ears for being to unfathomably sensitive, he wanted some semblance of quiet. He also wanted a few moments of reprieve to get rid of this nasty feeling of guilt that had been growing in his gut since he exited her room. "You are intruding."

A pair of rather sharp claws and teeth suddenly dug into Sesshomaru's skin. While it was not particularly painful he did find himself angered by it. Who did this pup think himself to be? First he imposed himself on Sesshomaru's time, then he thought to strike him? To actually attempt to injure one of a Lord status? "Release me or I will dislocate your jaw from the rest of your body. I am not the halfling who undoubtedly endures this nonsense."

If anything the fox demon bit him harder. Blood quickly began to drip down Sesshomaru's arm and his ire rose. Deciding that enough was enough, and the priestess probably wouldn't live much longer to properly yell at him if her decline was anything to go by, he was going to have to partake on his threat. In a move faster than a normal eye could see Sesshomaru whipped his arm to the side. The kit all but hurled though the air from the force of the move. In a surprising display of speed the pup twisted his body midair. His feet landed on the side of the wall, where his head should have made contact, and he pushed himself back towards the bed with his remaining strength.

Shippo landed, with a less than smooth roll, directly in front of Sesshomaru not a moment later with his glare still present. With a slight hobble, because the impact had to have hurt his feet if only a little, Shippo placed himself directly in-between Sesshomaru and the sleeping woman. His lips curled back again and sharp teeth, that were covered in Sesshomaru's blood, made his intent clear.

"You continue to defy me?" asked Sesshomaru. His anger had been momentarily curled after watching the swiftness of the kit, not to mention his outright disregard for his own safety. Despite his outward nature curiosity was never a trait Sesshomaru outgrew.

"You're just like him, a big bully, and I won't let you hurt my Momma," growled the young demon.

The kit had no grace, no refinement at all and Sesshomaru could not fathom why half the castle was not here to determine the commotion. Sesshomaru glance towards the, much to his disbelief, still sleeping woman. It appeared human's possessed no hearing at all if she was still sleeping through all of this racket. With another small movement Sesshomaru returned his attention to the kit. He had more than a few questions for the small child in front of him, one being the refuting statement that he was nothing like Inuyasha, who he could only guess was the 'him' the fox spoke of. One other tickled his senses even more so. "Mother? She is a priestess raised to kill our kind. You would willingly subject yourself to being under her? You have traveled with humans to long and are disgracing your kind."

It appeared this, despite how true Sesshomaru believed it to be, was the wrong thing to say. The kit all but attacked him, his demonic power flourishing all around him. While it was miniscule to Sesshomaru, and could be overpowered with a flick on his wrist, he took notice of this immediate defense.

"My kind do not care about me. She does! She loves me more than anything, she told me so. When my Papa died no one took me in. No one! No one cared enough! But she did, she took in a little orphan demon that tried to kill her," screeched Shippo.

Sesshomaru's earlier thoughts of other's selfishness immediately sprang to mind. Had he not just debated this scenario in his head? It even appeared that the kit understood the mindset of others, yet his still placed his trust in the priestess. Despite this, he could not call either of them a fool. This woman, and the fox, were as infuriating as anyone he had ever met. His anger diminished as he continued to contemplate, but his displeasure at the situation did not. "Yes, it appears she has a tendency to take in those that wish her harm. It is a foolish trait that will be the death of her," mocked Sesshomaru.

Shippo must have sensed that Sesshomaru's fury, and mild killing intent, had disappeared because his stance became less tense and his claws retracted. "I will protect her. I will protect her from everything because she is my Momma."

"And how will you do that? Your magic? It is limiting and nothing more than a façade. Will you trick your way into saving her?" he asked again. This line of questioning was not lost on him. The irony of asking his brother the same questions earlier, about the same woman no less, did not escape his notice. Was it pathetic that he half expected a more reasonable answer from the child in front of him than he had Inuyasha?

Shippo, really wanting the comfort of his mother while such a powerful demon mentally stripped him into nothing, bent down and curled up next to her. "I will do anything I need to. I will protect her, you'll see."

Sesshomaru watched as the fox demon snuggled deeper into her hold. It was a sight he was unaccustomed to, family openly showing affection. "She will become cross when she awakes, you should leave."

Shippo had the courage, probably because he was in Kagome's arms, to snort. "Momma loves being held, or holding others, or getting hugs, or giving kisses!"

Sesshomaru watched as Shippo became more excited with each passing moment. Briefly he entertained the idea that while he was ill, she did not prefer being held. In fact, she seemed rather averse to Sesshomaru doing what the kit had suggested.

"One time when she was gone for a really long time she came home and gave me a big old hug! She was kissing me and holding me all day too. Inuyasha was so mad because she ran right by him and picked me up because I'm her special little boy. That's what she calls me when she is really happy and really misses me. Inuyasha always says mean things after that, cause he gets really jealous when she love me more than him, and tries to hit me on the head with his sword. Momma always gets really mad and then he gets in trouble. I don't think he cares, since at least Momma is paying attention to him, because he does it all the time. I don't know, maybe he just likes hitting me on the head. Or getting yelled at too. Like I said, he is an idiot. He thinks telling her what to do will make her listen," rambled on Shippo.

Sesshomaru, who was oddly enough listening to the young demon, found himself rather befuddled by the entire thing. First, his younger brother really did had the mindset of a two year old. Secondly, the priestess had amazing tolerance to put up with what he could only describe as her self imposed pack. Third, Sesshomaru could feel that slight discomfort in his stomach growing. It was different than the guilt. It was less dreary but just as worrisome. He knew this feeling, though it was rare. He had become jealous, jealous over a few measly stories told by a demon not even past his first century. It might have been a ridiculous concept but it was a true one.

Turning his head back towards the snuggling demon Sesshomaru came to a decision. Looking at the woman whose arm had curled around the kit, and the kit who was burrowing into her chest, the decision only solidified itself in his mind. "She is by no means normal."

Shippo shook his head, "Momma? No, I don't think she is either. No one can be normal and put up with Inuyasha as long as she has."

Sesshomaru felt a tug at the corner of his lips, a smirk forming whether he wanted it to or not. Perhaps the fox demon was not a complete loss, he obviously had a sound mind despite his time with Inuyasha.

* * *

**Firevixen73** – No the story was not left behind! Who knew right? It is up and running I have just had a crazy year. I will be continuing this story so readers do not fear. I would also like to thank everyone who reviewed. It was great inspiration for me to keep writing and to keep the chapter going. It is amazing how much you all support me and I don't think I can say a big enough thank you. This chapter would have taken at least another month or two if it wasn't for all of your comments. I hope there were a few sweet moments in this chapter. I tried to put in more from Sesshomaru's point of view since there were requests for that. How did it go? Or do we prefer mostly Kagome's point of view?


	13. Kagome's Protection

_Recap:_

_Shippo, really wanting the comfort of his mother while such a powerful demon mentally stripped him into nothing, bent down and curled up next to her. "I will do anything I need to. I will protect her, you'll see."_

_Sesshomaru watched as the fox demon snuggled deeper into her hold. It was a sight he was unaccustomed to, family openly showing affection. "She will become cross when she awakes, you should leave."_

_Shippo had the courage, probably because he was in Kagome's arms, to snort. "Momma loves being held, or holding others, or getting hugs, or giving kisses!"_

_Sesshomaru watched as Shippo became more excited with each passing moment. Briefly he entertained the idea that while he was ill, she did not prefer being held. In fact, she seemed rather averse to Sesshomaru doing what the kit had suggested._

_"One time when she was gone for a really long time she came home and gave me a big old hug! She was kissing me and holding me all day too. Inuyasha was so mad because she ran right by him and picked me up because I'm her special little boy. That's what she calls me when she is really happy and really misses me. Inuyasha always says mean things after that, cause he gets really jealous when she love me more than him, and tries to hit me on the head with his sword. Momma always gets really mad and then he gets in trouble. I don't think he cares, since at least Momma is paying attention to him, because he does it all the time. I don't know, maybe he just likes hitting me on the head. Or getting yelled at too. Like I said, he is an idiot. He thinks telling her what to do will make her listen," rambled on Shippo._

_Sesshomaru, who was oddly enough listening to the young demon, found himself rather befuddled by the entire thing. First, his younger brother really did had the mindset of a two year old. Secondly, the priestess had amazing tolerance to put up with what he could only describe as her self imposed pack. Third, Sesshomaru could feel that slight discomfort in his stomach growing. It was different than the guilt. It was less dreary but just as worrisome. He knew this feeling, though it was rare. He had become jealous, jealous over a few measly stories told by a demon not even past his first century. It might have been a ridiculous concept but it was a true one._

_Turning his head back towards the snuggling demon Sesshomaru came to a decision. Looking at the woman whose arm had curled around the kit, and the kit who was burrowing into her chest, the decision only solidified itself in his mind. "She is by no means normal."_

_Shippo shook his head, "Momma? No, I don't think she is either. No one can be normal and put up with Inuyasha as long as she has."_

_Sesshomaru felt a tug at the corner of his lips, a smirk forming whether he wanted it to or not. Perhaps the fox demon was not a complete loss, he obviously had a sound mind despite his time with Inuyasha._

* * *

Kagome knew something was off when she woke to a smiling Shippo. Shippo never smiled in the morning, not once. He was one to sleep in as long as physically possible whenever he could get away with it. The only thing that ever stunted that little endeavor was when she was particularly sweet in the morning while promising nothing but hugs and kisses the rest of the day.

"What did you do Shippo?" she asked while staring at him as menacingly as she could manage so early in the morning.

Shippo, who was by now rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet just smiled, as if holding in a giggle. "Me? I didn't do anything."

Carefully, because she was still sore from her attacks, Kagome sat up. The moment she pushed herself forward Shippo's giggle broke loose. Mid push Kagome glanced around the room as a sense of being watched filled her. It wasn't just Shippo's strange behavior that had her on edge, something else was afoot. Her mother senses were on high alert, "Shippo…"

The giggle subsided, "Promise Momma, I didn't do anything."

With one last glance around, because the hair on the back of her neck was still tingling, thus giving her the sense that something was wrong, she faced her son. "Nothing is broken?"

Shippo did not say anything concrete but he did shake his head indicating a very clear 'no'.

"You didn't play a prank on Inuyasha?"

Shippo blushed slightly, indicating that a prank of some sort had been played but it had nothing to do with his current mood. Her mind immediately reeled back towards her younger brother and his sometimes irrational desire to keep some things between himself and lord knew who else. Perhaps this was Shippo's moment to be like every other boy. Kagome, understanding that sometimes little boys just needed their secrets, let the issue drop.

If it was something horrible she was sure to hear about it from Sesshomaru at some point in time. He did have the strangest habit of pointing out to her everything her or her party did to upset the-oh-so delicate equilibrium of his palace. Besides, she trusted her son, he wouldn't do anything to make an enemy of someone that would truly hurt him. Whatever it was could wait until it became too big for him to handle. With a sigh, and the strong desire to lay back down on the bed Kagome glanced at her son. "Did you stay here all night? I don't have a Shippo spot near me."

Shippo, very casually glanced to the balcony, as if waiting for a cue, and then back at his mother. "I stayed up for a while."

Kagome felt her ire rise. "You are a growing boy who needs his sleep, you cannot be staying up all hours of the night and you know it."

Shippo rolled his eyes in a very practiced manner, "But Momma! I was having fun!"

Kagome flung the covers off of her legs as she attempted to appear motherly in her disheveled state, "Fun? Doing what?"

"Talking about how stupid Inuyasha is of course!" said Shippo proudly.

The beaming smile was almost enough to make Kagome end the conversation right there. He looked much too adorable to properly reprimand. What with that beaming smile and his chest puffed out like a cat that caught the slippery little mouse hiding in the cupboard. Of course, one aspect of his statement drew her attention. "Talked? As in with another person?"

Shippo's face immediately lost all color and she could practically feel his shame rolling off of him in waves. His eyes dropped to the floor like magnets incapable of connecting to anything else and his feet started the tell all shuffling motion. "Umm, no."

Her hands went to her hips on an automatic response as she channeled every aspect of her own mother that use to drive her crazy as a kid, "So you spoke about how stupid Inuyasha is all night…to yourself?"

The shuffling temporarily stopped as he briefly looked up to regain eye contact, "Umm, yeah, that's right." It was obvious how excited he was to be given an excuse rather than having to make one up. She briefly recalled the story of the cat and the dog, namely her and Inuyasha, that he drew for the town in hopes of gaining some clarity about why his mother always felt the need to disappear down the magical well. No, subtlety and lying was not Shippo's strongest skill in the world; pranking and bragging about it yes, not taking the credit for something no.

Her eyes narrowed on the one other figure in the room, the red haired little boy with an inability to lie to his mother, "So you stayed up all night, reciting all the idiotic things that Inuyasha has done in our times together to yourself. All the while laughing at your own statements hard enough that it kept you up the majority of the night instead of participating in one of your favorite activities ever?"

It was obvious Shippo was unable to get the lie past his tongue so instead nodded his head vigorously.

Kagome, knowing her son better than the back of her hand immediately glanced towards the balcony. After a few seconds her eyes moved back towards Shippo, "Alright, I'll let this one go. How about you go get ready for a walk. I think I am feeling up to it today."

Shippo's eyes widened excitedly as the implications of what Kagome said registered. "You had a good night?" His thoughts about the lie were immediately gone at the prospect of his mother feeling better.

Kagome, feeling motherly and affectionate, quickly reached out and pulled Shippo into an overwhelming hug followed by a variety of kisses on his nose. With a giggle he pulled away and looked at her expectantly, "What do you think?"

Shippo quickly bound from the bed as he sprinted towards the kitchens intent on getting some food for their walk around the castle. In a flash he was through the door like Sesshomaru's whips themselves were on his heels. Feeling a wave of hopefulness, which was a blessing during such a bleak time, Kagome smiled to herself. She knew exactly where she and Shippo would be walking today. It was the one place where she could relax and let it all go. The one place where nothing could harm her. Pure determination was the only thing helping her think clearly right now but she knew, out of everything else, the gardens would help her.

Before that there was one more thing to do.

Kagome, knowing an opening when she saw one, slowly slipped out of bed. Being as quiet as possible Kagome tip toed, her feet near freezing from the floor but she bared it, towards the balcony. Once she was close enough Kagome flung the curtains open in what she could only hope was in a surprising manner. By the time they stopped fluttering Kagome felt her disappointment rise.

No one was there.

She glanced around the area, searching from the palace grounds to the side balcony's for anyone that looked familiar. Funny, she would have sworn someone was out here earlier. Her senses may be a little haywire but her skills as a mother were perfectly fine.

With a huff, and more annoyance than she thought, Kagome turned back towards her bed while preparing for the rest of the day. What she failed to notice, since her human nature left her naturally inclined to look down and not up, was the tip of a black boot hanging just slightly over the roof of the balcony.

It wasn't until the silver haired figure sitting there heard the rustling of clothes that the foot dared move. He had lingered to long on the balcony and almost been caught. He would not make that mistake again.

* * *

Kagome watched her step as she tried to keep up with her ever eager son. Despite what she had told him earlier her body was not in top condition. Everything was not only sore but sluggish. Some part of her was swearing that she knew how to walk but it was as if her muscles didn't believe her. How could someone actually forget how to walk in a few short days? It seemed impossible but apparently she was the world's personal conundrum. It just loved screwing with her.

Briefly Kagome's mind flickered to other things that enjoyed screwing with her, because it was more than just the world if she was being completely honest. Time apparently had a bone to pick with her because she was positive most people did not get thrown five hundred years into the past without someone wanting a bit of amusement. And then there was this whole Touga situation. It appeared that the underworld wanted to put their two cents in too.

A large bout of anxiousness hit her full on as she tried to think of something other than the thoughts currently racing through her mind. It was hopeless and she knew it. Everything was falling apart and she was moments from cracking. Inuyasha was mad at her, Touga was trying to kill her, Sesshomaru was an ass and she had no one.

Kagome stopped where she stood as she tried to regain her breathing. She would not cry. She didn't care how long she had to scream at herself, she would not cry. Not in this garden and not in Sesshomaru's castle. She would never cry out if desperation again. Sorrow, yes, but never out of complete and utter hopelessness. She felt the tears welling up inside her despite her protests and it took all of her strength not to give up right there.

"Momma? Is something wrong?"

She knew Shippo needed to be hugged, or maybe just reassured but something in her just couldn't do it. She couldn't find it in herself to lie, not even to herself let alone a little boy. She wasn't okay, and it wasn't just the Touga thing. She hadn't felt this hopeless in ages and it was eating her from the inside out. And it wasn't just what was going on now that hurt either. She knew in her heart that the pain of today was combining with the same pain she felt as a child. The same pain that could only be tempered by one person.

Kagome, knowing that tears would scar her son, took in a very deep breath in hopes of sucking the pain back in. "I just need a minute."

Shippo, never one for listening, slowly trudged through the dirt pathway towards his lifeline. "Can I do anything?"

Kagome's memories automatically took her to a still house picture of the one person in the world she knew would make it all better. She knew in her soul that if she could talk to them everything would be fine, that they would fix everything even if nothing changed. Short black hair, green eyes and a firm line for a mouth that was set in an ever present scowl. He would be standing arms crossed like he was waiting for a death sentence but really just waiting for her to say what was wrong. That was it, that was what she needed. She needed him right now. With a new sense of self, and the feelings of denial back in place, Kagome opened her eyes and locked gazes with her son. "I'm sorry Shippo, I think what's going on is just bringing up some old memories. I needed a moment to make them go away."

"A large hit on the head should do wonders for that," spoke the last voice Kagome wanted to hear at the moment.

She tensed as the situation dawned on her. The son of a bitch was following her, no one else knew she was out here. The gardens were her special place and the bastard was ruining that. "Is there something I can help you with Malik?"

A tall figure with an imposing stance shifted next to her, his aura all but suffocating her. "You are intruding."

Kagome was in no mood for his antics, "Actually, I was here first."

Malik appeared to be just as riled because his arms crossed defiantly, "I was here centuries before your parents ever had the thought to conceive you little girl. Leave."

Kagome almost growled at the demon in front of her. What was his problem? This was her time and her space! She always dealt with things by going on a walk through some type of garden or forest. It was just her way of processing the crap of life and now he was ruining that too? Was he honestly just out to get her? This was hers, not his! "Make me!"

"You spend too much time with the half breed if that childish statement appears to you like a valid argument," Malik's gaze became even more intimidating with each passing second.

Some part of her knew this was a bad idea, she knew that she couldn't win. It didn't have anything to do with her attacks from Touga, it didn't even have anything to do with her mortality. In fact, it didn't have anything to do with anything. Something in her recognized this moment and the fact that she didn't stand a chance. If anything, that pissed her off more. "I don't take orders from second rate generals with nothing better to do than to harass humans."

Shippo's aura shrunk the moment the words left Kagome's mouth. Even at this age Kagome knew he recognized a challenge when he heard one. Kagome had insulted Malik beyond mere words and everyone in the vicinity knew it. If by some chance they hadn't gotten the message Kagome's rage should have done the trick.

Malik, for his part, remained perfectly still while processing her statement. After a few seconds of contemplation he leveled their gazes, "You are nothing to me priestess, just like the rest of your kind. If by some chance our paths happen to cross again pray that one of your protectors is near you."

He didn't need to say anything else, every necessary word had been said. The battle lines had been drawn.

* * *

Lord Shiho watched in amazement from his balcony as one of his oldest comrades turned away from a challenge. For some unfathomable reason the priestess was still alive, much to his disbelief. He had been moments away from leaping from his very perch to relentlessly defend Kagome from someone he was sure would have killed her.

How had she survived such an incident?

"Shiho, what catches your attention?" asked his ever faithful friend Uza. The demon was more than restless as he tried to prepare for his outing. Nothing can aggravate a demon more than being stuck in the same place with no means of an exit and that is exactly what this castle had become lately. So, in order to appease his demon the two would be going for a long run, one with no walls or confinements. After the illness had spread through the castle both of them wanted fresh air and a small taste of freedom; freedom from their duties, their constraints and their turmoil.

"I am watching Malik argue with himself," he said with a small smirk.

Uza, who was more than interested in Malik losing all sense of reason was immediately by the window sill, "Where would this delightful activity be happening?"

"The gardens," said Shiho while returning to the interior portion of the room.

Uza scoffed in pure annoyance, "He still walks those every morning doesn't he?"

Shiho, ever the peace keeper, tried to steady an argument before it began, "You know it gives him tranquility. It is the one place he can calm his mind. Despite your thoughts about him he carries many burdens. Everyone should have a place where their mind can settle."

With a little more of a pout than recognition for Shiho's statement Uza turned back towards the gardens, "I don't see him, the scoundrel must have already left."

Shiho debated telling his friend about the standoff but quickly decided against it. Nothing good could come by putting more animosity between the two demon Lords. Recent events with Kagome had brought up more than enough old wounds for the lot of them and salt would do nothing but burn. Still, some things shouldn't just sit there gathering animosity. Perhaps a slight push was in order. "Tell me Uza, in some ways does Kagome remind you of Malik?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say because Uza was immediately in front of him. It wasn't often that the Lord became serious, let alone warlike, but everyone had their triggers. "She is nothing like him, and don't you ever suggest that again."

Shiho had been threatened enough times to not take the statement seriously enough to stop. Seriously enough to consider, but not to stop. There were times in life when certain things need to be said and this was one of them, "She fights like him. It is probably one of the reason's they are always at each other's necks. They use the same tactics to get what they want, small seemingly meaningless manipulations and psychological warfare. I can only imagine how they must frustrate each other."

Uza's face became red with anger, "Even if that were true, they are nothing alike. She is kind and entertaining, he is a monster with no morals."

Shiho frowned in disappointment, "Stop being so blind. Malik may have his faults, even he knows this, but he is a good man and a good leader. Stubborn and quick with his temper, but still good. Your hatred will hurt you more than it will him."

"Do not compare them, I won't stand it!" yelled Uza in complete rage.

Shiho knew the conversation was bordering on something to be weary of but this feud had gone on far enough. For a demon a few years filled with anger was nothing, but over a hundred years was pushing it, even for their kind. Especially if said demons needed to cooperate in order to properly protect all of those under their care. "It happened over a hundred and fifty years ago Uza, you both have suffered greatly because of it."

Uza stopped where he stood while processing his friends presented information. "I believe I shall run alone today Shiho, I am in need of some distance."

Shiho, knowing that he had perhaps pushed his friend to far tried not to take it personal. He knew that Malik and Nori's union was more than off limits but something needed to be said. Maybe it was Kagome's defiance towards the battle savvy Lord that brought this on but enough was enough. "I understand, I shall find something to do here."

Uza stiffly stepped out of the room, an unknown destination in mind that would hopefully leave all of these thoughts behind him.

Shiho watched as his long time friend left the room. It was more than obvious that today was going to be far from peaceful. With a sigh he contemplated yet another decision. Was he fine with confronting one of the two or was Malik in need of a good talking as well?

* * *

Malik, for his part, was desperately trying not to tear the room apart. He had quickly come to the conclusion that pacing was idiotic and whomever thought of the blasted method of stress relief did not have the slightest inkling about how fun it was to kill things. In fact, since they obviously knew nothing about proper stress relief, they probably off'ed themselves like he was dangerously close to doing if just to get away from that infernal woman.

He couldn't kill her, he knew that. She was not only valuable to them as an ally but as much as he hated to admit it Malik respected the hell out of her. How was it that her defiance was the one thing that pissed him off but made him admire her at the same time?

Malik furiously dove his claws into the sides of his legs in an attempt to reign in his anger. The pin pricks from his sharpened claws gave him some point to focus on, thus grounding him in reality. Still, the garden fiasco had him on edge. She was in _his_ space, she had interrupted on _his_ time.

"It appears you have finally learned how infuriating you are to the rest of us Malik," whispered a voice with a slight snigger.

Completely caught off guard Malik spun on his heels, despite the familiarity of the voice, and growled threateningly. "Do not push right now, I am in no mood for your lectures."

Shiho, having already decided that today was a lost cause casually threw his hands into the air, "I am not here to lecture, just make an observation."

"And what would that be? That I am unreasonable? That I have a temper? That I want nothing more than to rip someone's throat out? Thank you for those words of insight," said a scathing Malik with as much sarcasm as he could muster. Almost immediately he turned back towards the window to resume his pacing. While it was idiotic it was better than nothing.

Shiho chuckled, slightly surprised at the war general's insight about himself. "No, nothing quiet so obvious as that. I was actually going to make an observation about Kagome. Not everything is about you Malik."

Said demon scoffed as if offended by that statement, "Oh, so you were going to say that she is unreasonable? That she has a temper? Perhaps she too feels the need to rip someone's throat out."

Shiho straight up laughed at his choice of words. It was slightly ironic how well Malik's statements fit his own observations, "Actually I was going to say that you and Uza are both right, she is very much like Nori. She is similar not in her mannerisms or interactions but through her desire to help. She has the same ability to get into every mundane situation imaginable and have it somehow turn into a life threatening scenario, something she shouldn't have been involved in in the first place."

Malik stopped his pacing while examining this particular statement. It was true, Nori could get herself into the worst of situations without even trying. She somehow became involved, usually through her own desire to help people not even slightly related to her, which he or Uza would have spent the next how over many days trying to protect her from it. Before he could confirm or deny Shiho's observation the man continued.

"Of course, that is not all I see. She has a spark that Nori didn't. She has fire in her not just the calm waters my shores are known for. She is unafraid to stand up for what she believes in and will fight tooth and nail to see it through. She could quiet possibly be one of the most stubborn individuals I have ever met as well, not to mention unwilling to ask for help. Honestly, while it is unclear what ails her she remains as stiff as a board just plowing through it," said Shiho while smiling.

Malik, unclear about where this was going, did not indicate his own confusion but instead put his arms across his chest defiantly. His mouth twisted into a straight and firm scowl, "Are you complementing her Shiho? Or are you trying to get me to?"

"Actually, I was just noting that if you were to ever have a daughter I have no doubt in my mind that Kagome would be her. In all my years I have never met someone so similar to you and it, on my part, is rather amusing watching you argue with a younger female version of yourself day in and day out. I will admit that you have had particularly bad moments with her. I honestly think they are out of your pure frustration of having to go toe to toe with yourself since you are beyond aggravating at times, but overall the similarities are astounding."

Malik, despite his try's, could not hide his shock. His mind was spinning a thousand miles a minute at the implications, "You…what?"

Shiho, beyond amused that Malik was at a loss for words and showing it, took a few steps back. "If you weren't so busy being a bastard to her you might see said similarities."

He wanted to strike, he really did but Shiho had already slipped out the door. He was more than a little miffed when the ever sly, and supposedly wise demon, was gone before any real retribution could be cast upon him. Slimy bastard knew when he needed to run and he was good at it.

And where did he get off claiming that the girl and him were even slightly similar. She had a temper like he had never seen, which was more easily set off that a pregnant demoness. Was Shiho implying that he was as bad as her, impossible! And her stupid desire to do everything on her own despite the problems it was undoubtedly causing her? Malik could never be considered that blind as to avoid obvious situations because of his pride. Malik was the ruling factor over his pride and he would be damned before it controlled any of his actions like it did hers. He was not prideful like her! That woman was impossibly stubborn too, probably even more so than he even realized! Did no one see the way she bullied her way in the gardens? Who stands their ground like that? To him?

Stupid woman and him had nothing in common. The world was insane. With all his anger determining his strides Malik once again found himself circling the room. Everything about this day was a mess and he needed something, anything as a distraction. It was the least the universe could give him for denying him the safe haven in the gardens. Though, perhaps the woman had already left and he would be free to roam as he pleased.

Malik immediately banished the thought from his head. He would not cater to her. He would not wait for her to be done like a little brat waiting for his turn playing a game. He was much too far above that. She could keep the bloody area.

"Stop pacing, it's annoying" demanded a voice to his left.

He turned to face his god-son. Malik was in no mood to put up with the overconfident Lord of the West right now, despite their long history as student and mentor. He was much to riled by the previous situation to sit and listen to Sesshomaru discretely complain about a problem Malik was sure related to something he was supposed to care about, "Go speak to the woman, she is in need of your belittling aura, not me."

Sesshomaru's left eye brow rose slowly as he watched his godfather's ire rise even further. Slightly miffed that Malik had shot him down before getting even one word out, a rarity since Sesshomaru did not normally feel the inclination to speak in the first place, said demon pressed forward, "This is more important that your feud with the woman."

Malik turned on the pup with his demonic aura flaring. Due to its intensity flames briefly surrounded him, his manifestation getting the best of him. "And what, pray tell, is more important than my hatred?"

Sesshomaru flashed a canine as he heard the growl in his godfather's voice. He would not be dominated anywhere, let alone in his own home. His demonic aura being smothered just a few short days ago was enough to last him a life time. If there was one thing he was not about to let happen again, even if it was to prove a point, it was going to be that. He watched as Malik took in his response, the direct threat present on both of their minds. Neither was in the mood to be trifled with and it was only a question of who would back down first.

Instead of backing down as Sesshomaru had hoped, Malik's demonic aura grew stronger. The previous wisps of flame that had surrounded his long time friend grew even stronger. Sesshomaru, to be honest, was never a particular fan of fire. It was incredibly unpredictable and lacked the precision he so enjoyed. Malik though, appeared to relish in its fierce erratic nature, "You have yet to answer me pup."

Despite his desire to prove his dominance Sesshomaru knew a dire situation when he sensed it, they did not have time for this foolishness. Instead of directly attacking like he commonly did with overt displays of perfectly executed power, Sesshomaru took a different approach, "They are here."

Malik's aura, much to his ire, calmed as he sensed the slightly defeated nature surrounding Sesshomaru. No, defeated was improper for one such as the mighty Lord in front of him. Sesshomaru could never be defeated so easily, let alone acknowledge it, this was more of a resigned look. As if awaiting inevitable torture that no amount of bravery could ever dissuade.

"Who is here?" pressed Malik once his demonic rage was under justifiable control, though still admit ably wild.

Sesshomaru glanced towards the front gates as the sound of a royal horn finally reach both of their animalistic ears, "The one thing I find more despicable than my idiotic half brother."

Again a trumpet sounded as Sesshomaru's normally passive face slumped. If Malik would not have known any better, or thought Sesshomaru more capable of expressing regular emotions, he would have expected for Sesshomaru to be visibly ill. Malik suddenly caught the more than distinct smell that so often accompanied those despicable horns and couldn't help but be glad that he was considered to bastardly to be a real possibility. "Perfume and blood, what a pleasant combination."

Sesshomaru grimaced, "The fierceness of demons combined with the finesse of the ruling females of our kind. This is not an evening I will enjoy."

Malik's eyes turned towards his young student who was by all accounts, not so young anymore. "You seem to blame me for the night's events, ones that have yet to happen. May I ask why?"

Sesshomaru, who was already considering the near deaths that were more than likely to happen this night could not believe the anger he was feeling rising within him. Had he truly been depending on the wench this much? With cold and calculated eyes Sesshomaru spoke exactly what was on his mind, "You just angered the one ally I had procured for the upcoming week."

Malik's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. Had he truly just heard what he thought he heard? "The priestess? You allied yourself with the priestess?"

Sesshomaru did not rise to the knowing barb at his incapability, "A true leader knows when they are in need of assistance. Of course, one does not expect one of their most trusted advisors and mentors to personally sabotage them in this endeavor."

Malik scoffed, "I assure you that her level of difficultness is entirely her own and needs no fire from me. I am wounded that you did not see me fit as an adequate source of protection from such cretins."

Sesshomaru would hear none of it and part of him, a larger part than he cared to admit, was more than angered by Malik's statement. In a mere second his eyes flashed a tinge of pink, his iris's forming to the oncoming transformation that was being suppressed, "I have, with all three of you incompetent buffoons at some point."

Malik's wicked grin surfaced, "We have all had to bear it young one, it is somewhat of a right of passage. One your father and Uza took particular joy in."

Sesshomaru's claws extended as he remembered the many instances that one of the three men, at some points even his own father, had worsened the situation in an incomprehensible way. He for the most part could handle himself, he could defend his own territory. What he could not stomach was the other Lord's blatant attempts at making the situation all the more enjoyable for them. "It is not amusing."

Malik, suddenly out of whatever mood the priestess had put him in couldn't help the smirk, "Yes it is."

Sesshomaru turned as quickly as his demon speed would allow, not wanting to spend another second in Malik's demeaning presence. To think he had attempted to speak to the man to find some semblance of comfort. "The lot of you are despicable."

Malik did not even jump at the chance to, even verbally, distance himself from the other two Lords. The situation was much too enjoyable. Setting Sesshomaru up to spend time with some superficial demoness, it would be a more than acceptable distraction from today's events.

It never occurred to him that this is exactly the type of thing that Kagome would to do Inuyasha on a boring day with absolutely nothing interesting to do.

* * *

Kagome furiously stomped up to her room. Part of her desperately wanted to kick everything that came into contact with her. That horrible and annoying basin of water that one of the servants had left while in the middle of cleaning was precariously close to being thrown across the room. Kagome, to her frustration kept her temper in check and stopped right by it. She knew in her heart how childish kicking it would have been, and hence decided not to partake in the act, but another part of her was vindictively taunting her for being an adult.

Screw maturity. She should be allowed to be a kid with normal kid tantrums every once in a while but no, she was raised on freakishly strict principles.

It was times like this that she desperately wished to have Inuyasha's level of self control. Oh how freeing it would be to just not give a damn and spout anything that came to mind no matter who it pissed off. Self-control was completely overrated dammit!

Why? What gods had decided to give her the life she was living? Her crapfest life, and that is exactly what it was right now. She was being held captive five hundred years away from her family, in a time where women were nothing other than child bearers, being held hostage by a ghost that only she could see with demons whose only intent was to kill her. Kagome wasn't an idiot, Touga was legitimately trying to kill her because he had some twisted belief that it would draw his moronic sons together. Well hello you senile old dog, they would have to get over themselves and care about her enough to pay attention in order for that to happen. Both of them were too absorbed in their own world to ever notice anything other than the targets they had painted on each other's backs.

Kagome, completely defeated at this point all but collapsed on the floor she had been standing on. Her body just couldn't take this, the stress, the arguments, the attacks. She was drained beyond normal human measures, probably demonic too, and knew she was too far over the edge to do anything about it now.

Her breathing didn't quicken, her heart didn't race, the air didn't taste disgusting; no, instead she felt as if the world was suddenly compressing itself around her body. Like she was being squeezed through a tube three sizes two small only to find out that after all that pain there isn't an opening at the top.

The pain just continued to intensify.

What was happening to her?

The squeezing became tighter and she felt like each one of her bones was slowly cracking from the pressure. First there was just a small fracture, one from the bone being unable to give way, but then she felt it. It was like the break splintered off in a million directions. They each traveled up and through different parts of her body as if breaking everything into small unusable pieces. Logically Kagome knew that this was impossible, that she would not be sitting, even with her back up against a wall, if her bones were shattered, but she couldn't help but feel like it was happening. Like her bones, as strange as it sounded, were completely confused by the concept of gravity and force in general.

A tear, which keeping up with the ones before it burned with each millisecond, indicating her agonizing pain slipped down her cheek as she tried to keep herself quiet. Kagome, knowing that a scream was in order quickly bit her lip, almost immediately drawing blood. Her mouth was soon full of the metallic and muddy taste. Since when blood started tasting like mud she wasn't sure and at this point she didn't care. It was just another thing to add to the list of symptoms plaguing her life.

Kagome knew this couldn't go on much longer, not for her body's sake but for her sanity. Her mind would cave if this continued. So instead of focusing on the pain Kagome focused on the walk to the gardens she had been privy too just moments before.

Flowers, trees, pools of water. She needed to calm down, she needed to remember to breath no matter how disgusting the air tasted or how much it hurt to inhale. She needed to remember all that Uncle Ken had taught her. Kagome closed her eyes as she tried to remember her lessons. It hurt to remember, it hurt to think but she knew she had to try. Over the years his lessons were the only things that had ever kept her grounded, that had ever made her feel safe. She prayed to god that he would not fail her now.

Center yourself, know that the universe cannot touch what it does not have power over so do not feed it with your own strength. She focused continuously as the world around her seemed to heat up to an unknown level. While she still felt the unimaginable pain it was slowly lessoning as if being turned down a notch by an outward dial. Though it felt like the world around her was getting hotter as the pain became less with each second, as if the pain and the heat could not exist in the same world. The heat rose as the pain diminished. She felt as if she was sitting in the middle of a furnace but couldn't feel any flames burning her so she kept going, she kept herself centered.

Trust, that was everything Ken had taught her. Trust in him and trust in yourself. No one can defeat you if you truly believe that they cannot. Kagome couldn't let her symptoms beat her, she wouldn't be weak like that.

"Kagome!" screamed a voice that was vaguely familiar. Some part of her registered the screaming, the sound of disbelief, but to be completely honest she ignored it. It didn't matter that everything felt like she was picnicking on the sun, the pain was gone. The compressing feeling was gone. Right now that was all that mattered.

"Wench!" yelled the same voice right before Kagome felt someone with impossibly strong hands grab her arm and pull her towards them.

The heat almost immediately dissipated, leaving Kagome fearful but the pain didn't return. Breathing heavily, and for the first time that day without a cringe with each inhale, Kagome looked up to whomever had pulled her from the floor.

Much to her immediate surprise it was Malik. His eyes did not hold their usual bought of anger, or the expected fury that he had promised her earlier that morning. Instead his gaze was filled with shock and a little bit of disbelief.

"Kagome!" yelled the now very familiar voice. Almost immediately she watched as Inuyasha leaped next to her in what could only be described as pure panic. He was instantaneously checking over her whole body as if looking for what should have been obvious injuries. After giving her what could only be described as a thorough pat down the overwhelmed half demon turned to her. "What the hell woman? Are you okay?"

Kagome, who was still being held by Malik nodded her head, "I'm fine Inu-" she stopped mid sentence when she saw his hands, the very same hands that had just checked her for injuries. While one of them was fine, maybe a little red the other had black burn marks surrounding it. His charcoaled skin was the worse at his fingertips but spread throughout his hand like flames. The dead patches traveled up his arm until it gradually faded at his elbow. It looked as if he had placed his hand right in the middle of a fire and purposefully held it there. "What did you do to your hands?"

Inuyasha looked down at the more than burnt one, then quickly placed it behind his back. She could see his fury ignite, something that she was more than apt at deciphering, and knew he was being bogged down by his own emotions. From his instant angry response and the look in his eyes she could only guess it was shame. Though for what she wasn't sure. "I'm fine, you were the one engulfed in flames like a stupid person!"

Kagome's eyes widened in disbelief. While still in Malik's grip she turned to face the wall that she had been leaning against. Instead of the beautiful tapestry, stunning flooring and perfectly placed accents Kagome saw what appeared to be the remnants of a giant bonfire. Everything was completely destroyed. The wall was caving in from the fire damage and the floor was heavily scorched with marks she was positive would never come out. The beautiful artwork was completely destroyed, nothing but a now torn black piece of cloth and hanging rod to let anyone know that something beautiful had once been there.

Kagome couldn't believe the destruction. This was something that she normally only saw on the news with her mother, something that multiple firemen needed to take down. "What?" she tried.

On impulse Kagome looked down at her own hands, knowing that she had been at the center of it all. She remembered the heat, the comfort, but no burning sensation. But instead of burns she saw nothing but smooth skin: smooth, perfect, unblemished naked skin.

Kagome immediately screamed as if hells hound dogs were on her heels.

Malik, who was still holding her, which seemed to be his role in her life if past instances were anything to go by, quickly held her tighter as he wrapped his cloak over what was left of her visible body.

Instinctively she wrapped it around her.

"Why don't I have any clothes on?" she screamed at Inuyasha like he was the cause of her nakedness.

Inuyasha, who had long ago noticed that his friend was indeed naked but hadn't registered it until she was safe and he had finished with his pat down, couldn't help the pink blush on his cheeks that he was sure wasn't leaving anytime soon. ""I-umm…I don't know! They probably burned off leaving you…"

Handling embarrassment was never his strongest point.

Kagome glared at him, "You felt me up!"

Inuyasha's face could have been the same color as his own clothes, something Kagome was still missing much to her mortification, with the amount he was blushing at that statement. Somehow he managed to get out a stammer and a yell at her obvious insinuation, "Y-y-you were on fire! Crazy woman! Who'd want to look at you anyways?"

Kagome's face became even more contorted with rage with each word that came out of his mouth. For a split second she forgot that Malik's usually menacing cloak was the only thing from people mistaking her for a feudal era streakier and she lunged for Inuyasha's throat.

Inuyasha fell backwards on impulse in an attempt to get away from her, his sore backside being completely ignored as he attempted to scoot away from her as fast as he could while on his hands. "Gah! You're still naked!"

Malik who was attempting to sort out the situation in his own head had somehow managed to keep a firm grip on the woman despite her misleading strength. She was human, she should not have been able to nearly break his hold, but he _had_ managed to keep her steady. "Inuyasha, go see to your brother and make sure he is prepared for our guests. I will take care of her for now."

Inuyasha, who was still stuttering like a little boy realizing that his sister has different body parts than him, quickly scurried away as fast as his body could take him. His claws left more than enough indents from the force of his leaps but he did manage to get away.

Malik, who was now paying an extreme amount of attention to the naked girl in his arms slowly placed her down so her feet were once again on the floor and not hovering six inches above it. Her head was down and her hair covered her face, indicating her shame over the situation. Without any hesitation at all Malik unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around her body, clasping it around her neck. It completely drowned her, the fabric being too long and wide for her frame, but he guessed that was the point of the situation right now.

"We should get you adequate clothes," he said while grabbing her upper arm. Making sure not to hurt her, or pull the fabric in a way that would expose her flesh, Malik slowly walked with her down the hallway. They hadn't even gone four feet before she tried to speak.

"Aren't you going to kill me or something?"

She sounded completely broken.

Malik drew a breath and shook his head, "Later."

Then he heard what could only be described as a sniffle. Some part of him honestly died a little when he heard it. He bloody hated it when women cried. Despite his attitude it was the one thing that despite years of practice he had never been able to overcome.

"I hurt him didn't I? The burn on his hands, that was from me," her voice was quiet, even his demon hearing took a second to register it.

Malik's grip on her tightened, "The fire didn't come from you, it held a demonic aura."

Her voice was a little stronger this time when she answered, though it was once again accompanied by a sniffle and the scent of tears. "But he got hurt trying to save me. I hurt him. He tried to save me and he got hurt while I stayed fine. What about that is okay? What about that is right?"

He knew she was crying, he knew she was destroying herself over the fact that she may have hurt someone she considered family. But as important as that was, Inuyasha would heal. It would take a few days and he would be in a lot of pain, but it would heal. She on the other hand was a mystery wrapped in confusion. Instead of taking her to the room she had been occupying Malik took her to a much closer one, his. It happened to be around the corner and with one push she was standing in the middle of his self appointed chambers.

Deciding to concentrate on something other than her tears, because he was unsure what would happen if he did, Malik pulled out a clean set of clothes. They were his, ones he used when sparing, so they wouldn't be missed. Pressing them up against her chest since he was unsure where her hands were, Malik turned his head in the other direction. "Change."

Kagome, who was still swimming in her self mortification of being naked and hurting Inuyasha, tried to clear the water from her eyes. After blinking a few times to disperse the tears Kagome looked down at what was being pressed to her chest.

Clothes.

A new wave of crying came over her, her eyes appeared to have an unlimited water source, as the gesture hit her full force. Malik was giving her clothes. Malik was trying to make her less uncomfortable. Malik was being sweet.

Dropping the cloak, and not even bothering to ask Malik to stay facing the other direction Kagome changed as quickly as possible. She ignored the fact that she didn't have underwear or a bra, right now she was taking her blessings where she could get them. When she finished Kagome quickly looked around to see where she could put the cloak but did not find anywhere suitable. Slowly she turned back towards Malik who was still facing the other direction. "I-I guess I'm done now."

Thankfully, she had managed to say that without completely bawling her eyes out.

Malik, almost as slowly as her, turned around to face her. Despite her own problems with him she was a little surprised to see that he wasn't looking her directly in the eyes but instead was focusing on an imaginary spot in the middle of her forehead. "Umm, what should I do with the cloak?"

Malik immediately looked down at the fabric in her hands, "…Keep it for now. It is fire resistant so if anything else were to happen, you would be protected."

The meaning behind the words was not lost on her and she immediately felt her eyes start up again. The moment she did Kagome felt more than saw him cringe and she immediately felt guilty. She was after all being a blubbering mess. Wiping away her tears Kagome tried to correct herself, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry. I just can't seem to stop."

The demon Lord in front of her sighed, his whole body seemingly tired with the one move. Instead of telling her to leave or jump off a cliff like Kagome was positive he wanted her to Malik pointed to the bed. "Go sit down, I think it is time we talked."

Kagome, still more than a little ruffed up by today's events slowly moved over towards the bed. It was larger than hers, as well as higher. Part of her felt like a little child while walking over to it but another part of her just wanted to run. She knew that Malik wasn't going to let that happen though. And even if he did, Kagome wanted to stay. So Kagome walked over to the perfectly set sleeping arrangements, legs folded, and turned to face the Lord of the North.

Malik, for his part, was glad that her tears had appeared to once again stop for now. Though it was more than likely that they would start up again. Right now he needed to concentrate on bigger things though so her tears would have to wait. "Are you or are you not going to tell me what is happening to you. I know you know."

Kagome suddenly felt the familiar reminder from Touga to keep quiet. Her throat suddenly closed and the painful zap was moments away. "I-I am sorry but I cannot."

Malik had the most important answer he could have asked for with that one phrase. She didn't say she didn't know, she didn't get defensive and she did not answer with a plain 'no'. Her words were deliberate, she physically _could not_ answer him. Someone else was pulling the strings. "Are you in danger?"

Kagome closed her eyes as she tried not to think of all that had happened, "Yes."

"Is anyone else in the castle at risk for harm?" he asked slyly.

Kagome, knowing this was boarding on something Touga wouldn't approve shook her head 'no' and hoped she wouldn't get reprimanded. While she did not feel that he would hurt someone else in the castle she could vividly remember the burns across Inuyasha's hands, "Nothing intentional."

"Is it Naraku?" From her previous answer he surmised that it was a no but he needed to be sure. If Naraku was using her she was a risk to them all. Malik was slightly relieved when she indicated once again a no. "Can you tell me anything at all about what is happening?"

Kagome looked as if she was debating with herself, which in truth was what she was doing. Kagome knew Malik was smart, but she was unsure how smart. Somehow, she needed to give him as much information as possible with as little information as possible with the hopes that he would figure something out. "I am working on fixing it."

Malik had to stop his eyebrows from moving upwards in fascination. Fixing, she had used the word fixing. The statement was very similar to what he had heard earlier when she was talking to the kit so it most likely was true. She was trying to solve the problem, but it wasn't just a problem, it was something that was broken that needed to be repaired. What was it, a weapon? No, she was the least battle savvy person he had ever met. Whomever was doing this to her had to know that too, she knew nothing about forging or weaponry. So what needed to be fixed? "Do you know what to do?"

Kagome sighed as she brought her legs as close to her body as possible. While it was more than uncomfortable it brought her immeasurable amounts of comfort, "I have an idea but situations make it more than a little difficult. I don't have much to work with."

Malik remained standing as he processed what she said. Mentally he was reviewing all the acts that had transpired here at the castle and the decisions that she had made while here. He couldn't for the life of him find any connection other than she was here in the Western Castle. He doubted that she would be able to answer more than she already had though, her face was already showing worry on it. Instead of focusing on that particular conundrum Malik turned towards today's fiasco. "The fire, was it started by the same source?"

Kagome drew her eyebrows together in confusion, "I think so, I can't imagine what else it would have come from."

Malik knew better. That was no regular fire that was demonic fire laced with demonic aura. Everything else that had happened had been manifested by her own body. The shocks, the tear stained burns, the lack of sleep, the uncontrollable pain. Something else that she was unaware about was brewing, something that maybe she could talk about.

"That necklace, who gave it to you?" he said while narrowing in on the space in-between her breasts.

Kagome immediately went to grasp the shikon shards that hung in a bottle around her neck. By some miracle they were the one thing that hadn't burnt away. She could only guess that it was the power of the four souls that kept everything intact. "The jewel was found in my body. It was ripped out of my side by a centipede demon about two years ago."

Malik shook his head at her answer, "Not the jewel, the rope it is strung on."

Kagome, unsure what Malik was talking about pulled the necklace off of her neck in confusion. Once she did so she couldn't help the brilliant smile that spread across her face. "Oh momma," she said nostalgically. Holding the string up to her heart Kagome closed her eyes and smiled. "She must have switched the strings last time I was home."

Malik continued to look at her like she was stupid while she continued to talk to herself. Somehow catching on that Malik had no idea what she was talking about Kagome cleared her throat and tried to explain. "My Uncle Ken gave this to my about a year ago. I'd recognize the pattern anywhere. He said that it was a present and that it would protect me when he couldn't. Momma must have switched the strings on me when she saw how frail the other one was."

Malik slowly moved over to a nearby chair as he processed the information. "You have an Uncle? I believe that goes beyond Sesshomaru's and my previous analysis of you."

Kagome blushed as she remembered the reprimand Sesshomaru had given to her earlier when deciphering things about her life by her actions alone. Apparently she had given Sesshomaru too much credit, the analysis had been a group effort. Though, that didn't make her feel better at all. Apparently Sesshomaru and Malik took the time out of their day to talk about her. Very few things could scare her more than that. Clearing her throat Kagome tried to explain, "Well, he's not really my Uncle. After my father died, well, I don't know he kind of just took me in. He travels a lot, like a whole lot, but whenever he is in town or close by I see him."

Malik shut his eyes in contemplation. While keeping them closed he asked his next question, "He does not have a family of his own?"

Kagome giggled, something she never thought she would ever do in front of Malik of all people, "Oh he does. He has a daughter born out of wedlock. I've only met her a few times, and always when I was a kid, but from what I remember she is incredibly sweet."

Malik's eyes shot open, "Why do you not see her now?"

Kagome, starting to wonder why Malik was so interested in her personal life outside of shard hunting began drawing circles on the mat, "She's married now and lives pretty far away. I think that was why Uncle Ken became so attached to me, I think I reminded him of her when she was little."

Malik scoffed, "Did you just call yourself sweet?"

Kagome immediately felt the glare building inside of her surface. She turned her previously occupied eyes towards him and hoped that he burned a thousand deaths in the pits of the underworld, "No, I'm way more like him actually. I'm beyond stubborn, believe help is a form of saying I can't do something on my own and will do something just because someone tells me not to."

"So he is to blame for your impossible attitude?" he huffed out.

Kagome stuck out her tongue in annoyance, one in hopes of pissing him off and two in hopes of making herself feel better. She wasn't a brat…always. But instead of the familiar feeling of justice playing across her mind Kagome felt something sharp pinch her tongue. Opening her eyes in horror Kagome saw that Malik had grabbed it with the tip of his claws.

Freaking demon speed sucked turnips.

She tried to say let go, really she did, but it just came across as a mumbled mess of sounds. Malik narrowed his eyes at her further defiance. Kagome, knowing that she was defeated because Malik's eyes conveyed it all, rolled her own eyes in one last act of defiance and relaxed her body giving the universal sign of acceptance.

Malik slowly let go of her tongue. "The string, you said it was a present?"

Kagome, who was attempting to feel for any holes on her tongue because his claws were just as deadly as Sesshomaru's, slowly turned her attention back towards Malik. With the same glare from before she wrapped her hands around the fiber, "Yes, it was hand made by him too. It's why I never wore it, I didn't want anything to happen to something so special. Ken doesn't hand make anything."

She had expected Malik to scoff at the statement, after all what grown man makes a necklace for a woman? She was ready to defend her Uncle with her last breath at a mere hint of disapproval because although she would never admit it, Ken was one of the most important people in her life. After her father had died she had felt so alone. She had felt like the world was trying to drown her. She was furious at her mother for not understanding her pain, and Souta, she couldn't even look at him. It was as if her entire body was repulsed at the very thought of the small infant.

Ken had found her one day, crying under the god tree as he went to the shrine to make a prayer request for his only child. Despite him being a silent and gruff man with the aura of a lone wolf instead of going to the shrine he sat with her in the freezing rain and held her as she cried her eyes out. Ken had let Kagome beat against his chest in rage, soak his shirt with tears and pour all her six year old troubles onto him. Three hours he had sat there with her while she used and abused him and he sat in complete silence. He never once told her she was being childish, that she needed to grow up or that it would all be okay. He just continued holding her with the familiar straight face she knew and loved. It was only when she had finally stopped, only from pure exhaustion mind you, and fallen asleep did he stand and take her to her mother.

Looking back on it Kagome was incredibly lucky that he hadn't turned out to be some creeper with a fetish for small children. Honestly, they had a few wacko's who came to the shrine every now and then. But he hadn't been, instead he had been a businessman who had a meeting in Tokyo and happened to pass by an old shrine. Instead he had decided to put up with a broken little girl for three hours and then when she was done wailing on him returned her to her mother. But it hadn't ended there, he had left his card in the hands of the slumbering child so she could call and apologize for the mud on his shirt the next morning. A relationship formed after that, something that she really couldn't explain to normal onlookers. Eventually it went beyond phone calls and moved to face to face meetings. He had allowed the little girl free access to his office and building where she would spend the majority of her days watching him and terrorizing his employees.

So yes, she was ready to attack Malik like hell with an agenda.

Instead of doing what she predicted Malik concentrated on the cord in her hands and nodded his head. "Go talk to the half breed, and try not to kill him. He all but dove into the fire for you, he was legitimately concerned. If I hadn't of rounded the corner I have no doubt in my mind that he would have continued his pursuit."

Kagome, semi speechless, hugged the nearby cloak and she slowly walked away from the bed. She knew when she was being dismissed and despite the shock took the opportunity to leave. Her legs were slightly sore but she knew it could be worse. She had been on fire after all. But before she reached the door Kagome turned towards Malik, "Why didn't you burn? When you grabbed me?"

Malik didn't turn around but he did answer her. His voice though strong felt semi-distant but she let it go. Perhaps she was hearing things now too. Either way she was too tired to give it much notice. "Fire is my bloodlines specialty, much like Sesshomaru's poison. It cannot hurt me, no matter the intensity."

Kagome accepted the answer as true almost immediately, having seen Sesshomaru's poison first hand. After processing the information she all but ran out of the room determined to find her best friend and check on him. While she doubted he would let her see his hand she still needed to talk to him about recent events, well as much as Touga would let her talk to him. And who knew, maybe Inuyasha would finally give in and let her heal him. Miracles happened every day right? She wasn't sure what she would be able to heal with her powers on the fritz but she could at least give it a try.

Malik, for his part slumped into his chair even further, his mind ablaze with thought. Nothing was adding up, everything was a mess. Her story about her Uncle, while he couldn't sense any deceit and she appeared genuine enough in her delight, couldn't be true. It was impossible.

That cord was made from demon hair. Cat demon hair to be exact. It was a tradition passed on from his family used to protect the children, often the daughters, of the cat clan until they paired with mates suitable enough to protect them. The father would infuse his own demon aura into the hair and fasten it around his daughter's neck. It would react to extreme danger or desperation and set everything perceived as a threat on fire.

There was no way that necklace was hers, no physical way.

Because it had been his own demonic aura that had protected her.

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**Firevixen73**- Hello friends, sorry it has been so long but hopefully I made up for it with some suspense. Your reviews really helped me work on this chapter. I never want to make a chapter for the sake of just making one and I wanted to give you something that you would enjoy. I know that there was no Sesshomaru/Kagome interaction but give it time. I felt like a lot of what happened in this chapter needed to be said before they could progress further in the way that I want them too. So what does everybody think of Malik now? And everyone thought he was just a horrible person. Let me know what you think, I love hearing your comments.


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